Centre makes road to ISO-9000 easier for SSIs

KOLKATA: The Union ministry of small-scale industries (SSIs) has decided to empower Small Industry Service Institutes (SISIs) to disburse the central grant directly to SSIs for implementation of the ISO-9000 standards in their units,

Currently, the central subsidy for implementation of the product-quality standard is being disbursed by the office of the Development Commissioner under the ministry. From April 1, 2007, the central grant for the project will be disbursed by SISIs, which as the ministry’s representatives at the state level, works for promotion and development of micro and SSI units in states.

Director of Kolkata-based SISI, NN Debnath, said while delegating the disbursement power to SISIs, the ministry has decided to allot separate fund to each of them in FY08. To encourage SSI units embracing the ISO-9000 standard for quality upgradation, the Centre bears 75% of the accreditation costs or provides a lumpsum amount up to Rs 75,000, whichever is lower. The assistance is in the form of an outright Central grant for the project.

Along with this, SISIs have been authorised as the nodal agency for vetting applications for grants for the implementation of the product-quality standard. In the absence of clear guidelines on single-window vetting authorities, SSIs while seeking the grant, either apply directly to the office of the Development Commissioner or through the regional SISIs.

As part of the endeavour in involving SISIs in development of SSI clusters all over the country, the SISI, responsible for development of such units in West Bengal and the Andamans & Nicobar islands, has so far been assigned to develop six clusters in West Bengal.