Imphal (Manipur): Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Thursday appealed to the people of the state working in different fields to pick up their work at double speed, in order to maintain the same level of development trajectory achieved prior to the current crisis in the state(Manipur has been in boil after communal violence started since 3rd May).

Biren made the statement during the launching of “The Manipur State Credit Guarantee Scheme (MCGS)” at a solemn function organized by the Planning Department, government of Manipur at Hotel Imphal. The scheme was launched with Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small enterprises (CGTMSE), set up by the Ministry of MSME, Government of India and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).

Addressing the gathering, the Manipur CM said that the State has been passing through a difficult time and everyone needs to face it unitedly, to bring it back to normalcy, through emotional integration and living together.

“The current crisis in the State is like a flood which comes suddenly, but recedes with time and does not remain for long” said Biren, and assuring that normalcy would return soon in the State, he urged everyone to have confidence and trust in one another.

Informing that Manipur is just after Assam among the Northeast states and top among the small states in number of registrations of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) with a total of 51,199 registration including 50,658 for Micro, 519 for Small and 22 for Medium, he said “MSMEs are very suitable in Manipur, with its people’s eagerness to work and take up new activities”.

Highlighting the benefit of the scheme could provide to the displaced persons staying at various relief camps, he informed that a loan amount of Rs. 50,000 would be provided to the beneficiaries, as an initial stage, for carrying out any activities for earning. “Training for earning livelihood activities and marketing platforms for their products would be provided to the displaced people. There would be no financial and marketing problems”, he added.

He also added that with training, the displaced people would become expertise in a specific activity and would facilitate in availing the benefit of Rs. 10 lakhs under the One Family One Livelihood scheme of the State Government, once they return to their original places.

“There were habits of non-repayment of loans amongst the people of the State earlier, people now began to realize the opportunity of getting a bigger amount of loan, if we repay back on time”, he said and also expressed the importance of discipline and maintaining one’s culture and tradition to succeed in any field we enter.

Chief Executive Officer of CGTMSE Sandeep Varma and Chief General Manager of SIDBI Arup Kumar also spoke on the facilities provided to first generation entrepreneurs under Credit Guarantee Scheme.

During the programme, dummy cheques of loans and loan sanction letters sanctioned by different banks were handed over to beneficiaries under One Family One Livelihood Scheme and Manipur State Credit Guarantee Scheme.