Funds insufficient for ‘One District One Industry’ program

The funds allocated for running the 'One District One Industry' program in Sudur Paschim Province is found to be insufficient. The Industry, Commerce and Consumer Interest Protection Directorate under the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forestry and Environment has stated that the implementation of the program has been difficult as the Sudurpaschim Province government has not allocated sufficient funds for it. According to the directorate, the government of Sudurpaschim province has allocated a budget of only five hundred thousand rupees for the program in all the nine districts of the province for the current financial year 2080-81. Information Officer of the Directorate, Yashoda Bohra, said that due to the low funds allocated by the provincial government it is difficult to implement the one district one industry programme. Under the program, proposals are being sought and applications are being collected and subsidies will be given for the purchase of necessary materials for the selected industries. The office said that the industrialists who have not received technology and other subsidies in the past three financial years will be given subsidies for the purchase of technology. As Rs 500,000 has to be divided into nine parts, it is mentioned in the procedure that the amount should be distributed to the selected industrialists on a shared basis. Source: National News Agency Nepal