Shivani Bhakoo Ludhiana, December 3 Industrialists of the city are sore over the stringent rules and regulations set by the government to get the Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) certification, under which up to 80 per cent subsidies and other benefits will be provided to the industry. The industrialists said such stringent rules had been “deliberately” made by the government so that most MSME sector was deprived of getting the benefits. Talking to The Tribune, Badish Jindal, president of Federation of Punjab Small Industries Association (FOPSIA), said his organisation had been requesting the Quality Council of India (which gives the certification) to take a lenient view of the prescribed norms, but to no avail. There are about 6.5 crore MSMEs, of which 5.5 crore units are of micro status, operational in different parts of the country. “Out of this huge number, just about 20 units are able to get the certification. The norms are too strict to be followed with high levels of management, system, etc. It is not going to provide any benefit to most MSMEs,” said Jindal. President of Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisations (FICO) Gurmeet Singh Kular said the government should come forward to extend help to the MSMEs to fulfil the conditions and avail the benefits. “If only a handful of persons are getting the benefits, then there is no use of motivating others to avail the facility,” said Kular.

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