Manipur govt delivers death blow to small entrepreneurs

IMPHAL April 12: In what could be described as a death blow to aspiring entrepreneurs of the state, the directorate of commerce and industries has kept frozen a total amount of Rs 64,66,000 deposited by aspiring entrepreneurs for supply of industrial machinery by the directorate. The amount had been collected from altogether 853 applicants towards the end of 2000 in the form of bank drafts for the purpose of supply of various types of industrial machinery, according to informed sources. The machinery which were to be supplied include 600 insulated boxes, 200 rice mills, three pulse mills and 50 oil expellers. The collected amount was to have been forwarded to the government of India so that the Centre could supply the machinery at a subsidised rate. But apparently, officials at the directorate of industries have been stalling it for unofficial reasons. In the meantime, many of the applicants are facing grave hardship as they had borrowed money at high interest rates to pay the deposits, hoping that they would be able to start their own small scale industries and earn a livelihood. According to a sufferer, it appears that the directorate of commerce and industries is not at all serious about setting up industries. Further, the applicants cannot visit the directorate's office as it is now heavily guarded by CRPF and visitors are debarred.