SC/ST and women entrepreneurs fall short of procurement targets, says Venkatesan
However, data from the MSME Sambandh Portal shows that the targets remain unmet. In 2023-24, CPSEs made total procurements worth Rs 1,70,985.77 crore, of which only Rs 1,761.78 crore (1.03 per cent) was from SC/ST-owned MSEs and Rs 3,154.98 crore (1.85 per cent) from women-owned MSEs.
CPM's Madurai MP Su Venkatesan
CHENNAI: CPM MP Su Venkatesan has criticised the Centre for failing to meet public procurement targets from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and women-led enterprises, despite a policy mandating such purchases.
Responding to his unstarred question in the Lok Sabha on August 7, Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Shobha Karandlaje stated that as per the Public Procurement Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), Central Ministries, Departments and Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) must procure 25 per cent of their annual purchases from MSEs, including 4 per cent from SC/ST-owned units and 3 per cent from women-led units.
However, data from the MSME Sambandh Portal shows that the targets remain unmet. In 2023-24, CPSEs made total procurements worth Rs 1,70,985.77 crore, of which only Rs 1,761.78 crore (1.03 per cent) was from SC/ST-owned MSEs and Rs 3,154.98 crore (1.85 per cent) from women-owned MSEs.
For 2024-25, up to August 5, total procurement stood at Rs 2,69,860.17 crore. Of this, purchases from SC/ST-owned MSEs amounted to Rs 3,584.55 crore (1.33 per cent), while women-led units accounted for Rs 5,972.20 crore (2.21 per cent).
Venkatesan said the figures reveal a significant gap between policy targets and actual implementation. “Announcing targets is not enough. Political will is necessary to achieve them. Even five years after the announcement of this procurement policy, purchases from SC/ST entrepreneurs have not crossed 1.33 per cent, which is less than half the mandated target.
Procurement from women entrepreneurs has also fallen short. These targets represent only the minimum assurance, yet the government has failed to deliver. This exposes its lack of commitment to social justice and gender equality,” he said in a post on X.
The Minister’s reply noted that 117 CPSEs did not meet the sub-targets for SC/ST and women-owned enterprises in 2024-25. Measures to improve compliance include real-time monitoring through the MSME Sambandh Portal, vendor development programmes, and linking MSEs with the Government e-Marketplace.