KL Desk
SRINAGAR
Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, minister for Planning, Development and Labour & Employment Tuesday called upon various employment generating agencies in the state to double their efforts to achieve the targets.
“Employment is one of the priority areas and government will make all out efforts to create maximum job opportunities for the deserving un-employed youth in government as well as private sector,” he said.
While taking a detailed review of various employment generation schemes under implementation by Employment Department today, the minister stressed the need for utilizing optimum resources for generating maximum employment opportunities for the unemployed.
Expressing satisfaction on the previous year’s performance, Sadhotra directed the officers to ensure coordinated efforts between various agencies to achieve the objective of various flagship programmes of Central Government and Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth (SKEWPY). He asked the agencies to motivate youth to adopt self-employment ventures instead of chasing government jobs, which is not possible for all. He also stressed the need for taking full advantage of UDAAN and HIMAYAT programmes which guarantee employment to the educated youth after imparting short term skill development trainings.
The meeting was apprised that over 5 lakh unemployed educated youth were registered with various employment exchanges in the state till ending December, 2012 under SKEWPY and during the past three years as many as 1,29,166 youth were provided employment in different sectors against a target of 2,55,000 which is to be achieved in five years. Similarly, about 2 lakh youth have been imparted skill upgradation, training in different trades which make them eligible for job in private sector, the meeting was told.
The meeting was further told that under J&K Self Employment Scheme over 4500 units were set up involving disbursement of Rs. 129.23 crore, including subsidy to the tune of Rs. 39.79 crore during the previous fiscal. Almost similar target has been set for the current fiscal.
Under Seed Capital Fund Scheme which is jointly implemented by the Employment Department, the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) and J&K Bank Ltd, 1496 entrepreneurs have been provided Rs. 154.15 crore which includes Rs. 49.43 crore as seed capital fund for setting up their income generating ventures in different trades during the previous fiscal. During the current fiscal Rs. 55 crore has been earmarked as annual plan for the purpose. Under Voluntary Service Allowance (VSA), 50,268 educated youth were disbursed Rs. 32.85 crore during the previous fiscal.
Under Women Entrepreneurship Scheme which is being implemented by the J&K Women Development Corporation, as many as 234 employment generation units were established involving Rs. 4 crore, giving direct employment to 702 women beneficiaries during the year 2012-13, the meeting was apprised.
