The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has asked the Department of Financial Services and commercial banks to charge “uniform and lowest possible” rates of interest to help MSMEs. In a report tabled in Parliament on the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), the panel also suggested the MSME Ministry to play a pro-active role in ensuring that the scheme runs well.

In another report, the panel criticised the NITI Aayog for the delay in preparing a roadmap with defined milestones aligned with “Sustainable Development Goals”. Reminding the NITI Aayog of India’s SDG commitment in the United Nations, the panel said the delay may have a bearing on the good standing the country has in the pursuit of sustainability goals.

NITI Aayog role in SDG

“The Committee, have therefore, exhorted NITI Aayog to take suitable measures to compensate for the delayed action. Also, it has been felt that it may be preferable to clearly specify NITI Aayog’s role in implementation of SDGs in the Allocation of Business Rules,” it said.

The panel also noted that efforts to raise public awareness about SDGs in seven States have not been comprehensive, focussed and sustained. The panel demanded more effective communication campaigns tailored to the context, language, values and resources accessible to the local stakeholders and audiences.

“Upon noticing that public awareness programmes that are being undertaken being of a subdued nature, do not seem to be very effective in terms of outreach, the Committee have desired that NITI Aayog should have an interactive web page to reach out to the States and the general public,” the report said.