Employment Exchanges scheme

Self Employment Schemes

In the present day scenario, placements in the Government sector is decreasing. Self-Employment promotion is the need of the hour. Necessary information is given to entrepreneurs visiting the Employment Exchanges regarding the various Self Employment Schemes implemented in the state like Nehru Rozgar Yojana, Kudumba Sree etc. 

Apart from these, there are three Self Employment Promotion Schemes implemented exclusively through the Employment Department. They are

1. KESRU (Kerala Self Employment Scheme for the Registered Unemployed)

2. MPSC/JC (Multi-Purpose Service Centers/Job clubs)

3. Saranya (Self-Employment Scheme for the Destitute Women)

These Self Employment Programmes are implemented through the14 District Employment Exchanges

Special Self-Employment Guidance Units are functioning in 2 District Employment Exchanges in the State, one at Kollam and the other at Idukki.

Highlights of Self Employment Schemes Implemented through Employment Department

• High subsidy
• Less formalities
• No intermediaries
• Free EDP Training
• Departmental support
• Free service

10 Tips to Enhance Your Employment Chances

1)  Register at the earliest - The early bird catches the prey

2)  Renew promptly

3)  Add qualifications/experience as and when they are acquired

4)  Intimate change of address, if any, immediately

5)  Claim priority if eligible

6)  Avail educational guidance - through UEIGBs

7)  Avail vocational guidance - through VG Units/ Employability Centres

8)  Get Pre-Examination training - through UEIGB /VG Units/CGCs

9)  Acquire Soft Skills - through training programme

10) Learn more, but make sure the course is recognised for employment

11) Be positive

1)  KESRU 99 (Kerala Self Employment Scheme for the Registered Unemployed)

Scheme
The scheme was sanctioned vide G.O.(P)No.40/99/Labour dated 30.03.1999
Bank loan up to Rs. 1,00,000 is given for starting self-employment ventures to individuals, out of which 20% is re-imbursed as Government subsidy through Employment Department. The spouse or parents of the beneficiary will be the guarantor. Beneficiary contribution is not mandatory.

Eligibility

All unemployed persons in the live Register of Employment Exchanges between the age limit 21 - 50 with annual family income not exceeding Rs.1,00,000/-

Educational Qualification should suit the project selected. Preference will be given to those with professional or technical qualification, woman having graduation and beneficiaries of unemployment dole scheme. Students are not eligible for applying under KESRU

Implementation

Application forms are available free of cost from the Employment Exchange where the candidate is registered and is to be submitted there along with the project report and income certificate from the village officer. After a preliminary verification in the Employment Exchange the applications which are found eligible are forwarded to the District Employment Exchange concerned for scrutiny.

Scrutinised applications are submitted by the District Employment Officer to the District Committee for sanctioning loans through Nationalised Banks, District Co-operative Banks, Scheduled Banks and KSFE. Sanctioning authority is the District Committee for KESRU where District Panchayat President is the Chairman and Employment Officer(Self Employment) is the Convener. Regional Deputy Director of Employment is the appellate authority.

KESRU beneficiaries will not be submitted against temporary vacancies but will be considered for regular vacancies.

Appeal Authority

For rejection on matters related to Employment Exchange level verification, the Applicant can submit his appeal to the concerned Regional Deputy Director of Employment

Monitoring
The Director of Employment is the controlling officer of the scheme. The scheme is monitored through the Employment Officers(Self Employment) of the concerned District Employment Exchanges.

2)MPSC/JC (Multi-Purpose Service Centres/Job clubs)

Scheme
This scheme was sanctioned vide GO(P)No.143/2007/Labour date 28.10.2007. MPJC is a group oriented self-employment scheme for development of enterprises in the unorganised sector. This scheme contemplates establishment of multi-purpose service centres under duly constituted groups of qualified and registered unemployed persons, in the unorganised sector.

Bank loan up to Rs. 10,00,000 is given for starting self-employment group ventures of 2 to 5 members, out of which 25% subject to maximum of Rs. 2,00,000/- is re-imbursed as Government subsidy through Employment Department. The scheme is incorporated with Credit Guarantee Scheme.

In the job club there should be 2 to 5 members and one among them will be the team leader. Other members will be partners. A partnership agreement in a stamped paper of Rs.50/ is to be signed by them. They are individually, collectively and equally responsible for satisfying the conditions stipulated by the financial institutions in respect of providing security/ guarantee, for the successful implementation of the project and for the repayment of the loan amount. 

Eligibility

All unemployed persons in the live Register of Employment Exchanges between the age limit 21 - 40 with relaxation in the upper age limit of three years to OBC applicants and 5 years to SC/ ST/PH applicants are eligible. The annual family income should not exceed Rs.1,00,000/-. Beneficiary contribution is 10%.

Educational Qualification should suit the project selected. Preference will be given to those with professional or technical qualification, graduate woman and beneficiaries of unemployment dole scheme.

Implementation

Application forms are available free of cost from the Employment Exchange where the candidate is registered and is to be submitted there along with the detailed project report and income certificate from the village officer.

Primary verification as regards to age, income, skill and qualification to implement the project, correctness of the documents submitted etc will be done in the District Employment Exchange by the Employment Officer of the Self Employment Unit.

Scrutinised applications are submitted by the District Employment Officer to the District Committee for sanctioning loans through Nationalised Banks, District Co-operative Banks and Scheduled Banks. Sanctioning authority is the District Committee for MPSC/JC where District Panchayat President is the Chairman and District Employment Officer is the Convener. Government of Kerala is the appellate authority.

MPSC/JC beneficiaries will not be submitted against temporary vacancies but will be considered for regular vacancies.

For availing loan under this MPSC/JC the beneficiary can avail the benefit of Credit Guarantee Trust Scheme for Micro and Medium enterprises. If the scheme belongs to the sector of service/industry, this Trust will stand as surety for the loan amount. To avail this benefit, the beneficiary has to remit 1.5% for the first year and 0.75% thereafter of the total loan amount to this Trust.

When the loan is sanctioned a joint loan account is to be opened in the names of all the job club members. 10% of the total project cost is to be remitted in this loan account. Then the financial institution will inform the District Employment Officer about the sanctioning of the loan. The District Employment Officer will send the subsidy amount by means of Demand Draft to the loan account  of the beneficiaries.

Monitoring

The Director of Employment is the controlling officer of the scheme. The scheme is monitored through the District Employment Officers

3)Saranya (Self Employment Scheme for the Destitute Women)

Scheme
This scheme was sanctioned vide GO(P)No.81/2010/Labour date 24.07.2010. Saranya is the new self-Employment scheme introduced by the State Government for uplifting the most backward and segregated women in the State, namely widows, divorced, deserted, spinsters above the age of 30 and unwedded mothers of Scheduled Tribe.

Interest free bank loan of upto Rs. 50,000 is given for starting self-employment ventures, out of which 50% is re-imbursed as Government subsidy subject to a maximum of Rs. 25,000/- through Employment Department. Repayment will be in 60 equal monthly installments.

If the venture requires an amount above the limit of Rs.50000/, the applicant has to remit her beneficiary contribution of 10% of that amount. More over, the  beneficiary has to remit 3% as interest at flat rate for the amount she avails in excess to Rs. 50000/.

This scheme is intended for individual ventures, but it is also allowed to start joint venture by more than one entrepreneurs. Each person of this joint venture will get maximum amount of loan and its subsidy.

The beneficiary is exempted from providing any security for the loan amount.

Eligibility
All unemployed widows, divorced, deserted, spinsters above the age of 30 and unwedded mothers of Scheduled Tribe in the live Register of Employment Exchanges between the age limit 18 - 55 except in the case of spinsters,  are eligible.

Widows(wife of late) means, the woman whose husband is deceased and she has not remarried till date.  Certificate is to be obtained from the Village Officer/President of the Grama Panchayath or Chairman of the Municipal Corporation or the Mayor of the Corporation as the case may be.

Divorced woman means, the woman who has been divorced through a court of law or through her religious organization. Certificate to the effect that she has not remarried till date is to be obtained from the Village Officer.

Deserted means woman deserted by her husband/ woman whose husband is missing means woman whose husband is absconding or otherwise missing for the last seven years. Such woman should produce certificate from the Tahsildar to this effect and also that she has not remarried till date.

Spinsters means unmarried woman means a woman who has completed the age of 30 years as on 1^st April of the year of application and not yet married. Certificate to this effect is to be produced from the Village Officer.

Unmarried mother means unmarried mother who belongs to Scheduled Tribe Category means woman who belongs to Scheduled Tribe Category and became mother without having married. Certificate to this effect is to be obtained from the Village Officer stating clearly the caste and community in the certificate.

The annual family income should not exceed Rs.1,00,000/-. Preference will be given to those with professional or technical qualification.

Implementation
Application forms are available free of cost from the Employment Exchange where the candidate is registered and is to be submitted there along with the detailed project report and income certificate from the village officer.

Primary verification of the application will be conducted at the Employment Exchange regarding the correctness of the data filled in  the application, income certificate, community certificate, certificate regarding their marital status etc. Then if it is submitted in the Town Employment Exchange, it will be forwarded to the District Employment Exchange concerned.

Scrutinised applications are submitted by the District Employment Officer to the District Committee for sanctioning loans. Sanctioning authority is the District Committee for Saranya where District Collector is the Chairman and District Employment Officer is the Convener. Government of Kerala is the appellate authority.

Demand draft for the loan amount is directly sent to bank account of the applicant from the Employment department. The beneficiaries of Saranya Self Employment Scheme will be considered for regular vacancy only and not for the temporary vacancy.

Monitoring
The Director of Employment is the controlling officer of the scheme. The scheme is monitored through the District Employment Officers and Employment Officers of Town Employment Exchanges.

If the beneficiary does not repay 3 consecutive installments, two reminders will be sent. If no reply is received, revenue recovery action to realize the loan amount with interest will be initiated. Moreover, if it is found later that the loan amount is utilized for other purposes than the project sanctioned; the full amount including the subsidy will be recovered through revenue recovery.