Gujarat Congress spokesman Hiren calls PMEGP Scheme of BJP Government has Failed to Provide Benefit to Youth in Rural area. There are Serious Flaws and Reluctance in its Implementation.
Banker stated that there has been a Consistent Decline in Applications under PMEGP Scheme over last 5 years
Not A Single Application for PMEGP Pradhan Mantri Employment Generation Programme in Surat and Navsari during 2024–25: A Serious Flaw in Implementation
Number of Applications Dropped from 19,546 to 7,793 in 2024–25 during just 5 years: Employment Generation Scheme Only For Name Sake in Tribal Areas
7,269 Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) shut down in 5 years: 33,361 People Lost their Jobs
Despite of Big Announcements about Employment Generation, the Increasing Number of Industries Shutting down in Gujarat is a clear example of BJP government’s failure. Expressing Concern over Closures of MSMEs, Gujarat Congress spokesman Hiren Banker stated that there has been a Consistent Decline in Applications under PMEGP Scheme over last 5 years. In some Districts, Not even a Single Application has been Received, which clearly shows that State Government has completely failed to Deliver Benefits of this Employment Generation Scheme to the Youth.
Despite of Announcements and Promotions Worth Crores of Rupees, Not A Single Application has been Received in Important Districts like Navsari and Surat under PMEGP scheme in 2024–25. This Trend Directly Shows Failure in its Implementation. Applications under PMEGP have seen a Significant Drop from 19,654 in 2020–21 to only 7,793 in 2024–25, a Decrease of over 60%. This Shows that Youth are Facing Challenges in Availing Benefits of the Scheme, which is a Serious Concern.
In 2024–25, only 7 applications were accepted in Dang, 7 in Mahisagar, 16 in Chhota Udepur, and just 2 in Narmada by banks. This Suggests that in Tribal Areas, the Employment Generation Scheme exists for Name Sake and Reflects Reluctance in its Implementation. Central Government is Showing Partiality Towards such a Vital Employment-Oriented Scheme. Government has Failed to Motivate Youth Towards Self-Employment and to Provide them with necessary Guidance.
While BJP Government Boasts about Large-Scale Employment Generation, Descending Trend of schemes PMEGP Exposes Worthlessness of their Claims. Decline in both Rural and Urban Areas Indicates that Effectiveness of the Scheme is Weakening Across the State.
In last 5 years, 7,269 MSMEs have Shut Down in Gujarat, Resulting in Loss of Employment for 33,361 people.
Year-wise breakdown is as follows:
Year MSMEs Closed Jobs Lost PMEGP Applications Loans Approved
2020–21 67 302 19,654 4,265
2021–22 492 2,632 10,568 4,157
2022–23 1,074 4,843 10,010 4,169
2023–24 2,307 10,838 9,899 4,524
2024–25 3,329 14,746 7,793 2,733
Total 7,269 33,361
Congress Party demands that BJP Government Immediately Review the Policies and Implementation of MSME Schemes, Address the Shortcomings, and Ensure that Youth can Easily Avail Employment Opportunities—Not Just Through Worthless Announcements, but Through Effective Action in Public Interest.
