CHENNAI: AIADMK legislator from Singanallur, KR Jayaram, on Wednesday, alleged that the number of MSMEs in the state has decreased in the incumbent regime as per the registration on the Udyam Portal.
Attributing the decrease based on registration on the Udyam Portal to the union government, State MSME Minister TM Anbarasan said that the number of entrepreneurs and budgetary allocation to the department were doubled in the incumbent regime compared to the 10-year AIADMK regime.
Participating in the debate on demand for grants for the MSME department in the State Assembly, Jayaram cited the registration on the Udyam portal and said that the number of MSMEs fell by 9,000, and several unregistered MSMEs have closed in the state.
Responding to the AIADMK MLAs' charge, the minister said that the union government was responsible for the decline and said that the vendors supplying to the MSMEs were insisting that they deregister from the Udyam portal to procure supplies.
Later, replying to the debate, Anbarasan said that there were 33.62 lakh MSMEs in the state as on March 31, 2025 and only Rs 3,617 crore was allocated for the department in the 10-year AIADMK regime, but Rs 6,626 crore was allocated in the incumbent DMK regime in five years.
Pointing out that about 55,230 entrepreneurs were created in the 10-year AIADMK regime, the minister said that 59,584 entrepreneurs were created in the four-year DMK regime led by Chief Minister MK Stalin.
Of the 59,584 entrepreneurs created in the DMK regime, about 21,281 entrepreneurs were women and 9,224 were Dalits and 2,497 belonged to the minority community.
Responding to the member’s claims about peak hour and fixed charges, Anbarasan said that the peak hour charges were reduced from 25 to 15%, and it has been suspended till the fixing of smart meters.
The minister also added that the charges of rooftop solar network charges have been reduced by 50%, in addition to providing Rs 595.36 crore and Rs 12.27 crore as peak hour charge and network charge subsidies.