ACAUT accuses KVIC of ‘cheating’

A Staff Reporter DIMAPUR, APRIL 4 The office of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Nagaland has been accused of indulging in “non-transparent activities”, and of “cheating” local entrepreneurs, while executing the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) in the state. This accusation was made by members from ACAUT Nagaland during their visit to the KVIC office at Supermarket, Dimapur on Monday. This visit to the KVIC office, according to the ACAUT members, was prompted by complaints of anomalies in the execution of PMEGP from local entrepreneurs. According to ACAUT, the department officials were charging the applicants of Rs 500 for each application form, and another Rs 1500 to cover the expense of tea served and stationeries used during interviews. “This is pure robbery by the department.” The department is required to distribute the application forms free of cost to the interested entrepreneurs, according to ACAUT Nagaland. It demanded that the department produce copies of the guideline that allows the latter to charge money for forms. When one of the KVIC employees suggested that the Rs 1500 charged from the applicants could have been for “project profile”, the ACAUT members pointed out that that the department was required, by the government guideline, to provide free technical assistance to help the candidates present and prepared their projects. Even the window period for the applicants to avail forms from the KVIC office hardly lasts more than “15 to 20 minutes” after which they stop issuing forms citing shortage, according to the ACAUT members. “These anomalies have to stop now.” About two weeks back the ACAUT members had met the Assistant Director of KVIC Nagaland, Amit Pura Chobin who, reportedly, gave a verbal assurance to end such “anomalies.” On Monday, the ACAUT members demanded that, besides bringing an immediate end to such corrupt practices, the department should ensure that all applicants could avail the forms, regardless of the number of projects allotted. They also demanded that the department should establish a “facilitating counter” within its office to help and guide the interested applicants. And as per guidelines, the department should engage in awareness campaigns to help the people of Nagaland understand the various projects available under KVIC, they demanded.