Under the Prime Minister Employment Generation Program (PMEGP), Uttar Pradesh has used more than Rs 189.04 crore to help 5,507 enterprises across the state in about eight and a half months. The UP government said that till January 16, it has achieved 74 percent target. At the same time, the state officials said that there is still more than two months left and they are hopeful that the state will achieve the target by the end of the financial year.

The UP government said that UP is on top in terms of achieving the target, which is much higher than the total target of 48.33 percent by all the institutions associated with the Prime Minister's employment generation program across the country. A UP government official said that the maximum credit for this achievement goes to Uttar Pradesh Khadi and Village Industries Board, which has already achieved 106 per cent against the target fixed for the use of margin money.

Under the Khadi and Village Industries Board, 2,378 units were given more than Rs 81.76 crore and thus employing over 21,000 youth. According to government sources, two other agencies, District Industries Center and Khadi and Village Industries Commission, which are a part of the Prime Minister's employment generation program in Uttar Pradesh, have used 77 percent and 36 percent of the money.

Under the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program, a general category beneficiary setting up an enterprise in rural areas is given 25 percent subsidy as the cost of the project, while in the other category it is 35 percent. In the case of a general category beneficiary, the promoter's equity is 10 per cent, while in the case of others it is 5 per cent. Additional Chief Secretary (Khadi and Village Industries) Navneet Sehgal said that the data shows how we can turn this into an opportunity amid an epidemic.