Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 30: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, today said the Government is working on various initiatives to create ample employment avenues for the youth of the State and described it as a major challenge.
Chief Minister while responding to supplementaries during the Question Hour said in the Legislative Assembly: “I know unemployment is one of the biggest challenges for all of us and the Government is working on various fronts to create adequate employment avenues for the youth.”
Mehbooba said instead of indulging in blame-game over the issue of unemployment, “all of us should put in collective effort to confront this challenge.”
Chief Minister said the Government has already made various interventions on this front. She said besides fast-tracking the recruitment in Government departments, corporate houses have also been involved in creating employment opportunities for the local youth.
“We have asked these corporate houses to train and engage the local youth through productive employment,” said Mehbooba, adding that even private educational institutions have been asked to engage J&K’s meritorious sportspersons in various capacities.
Chief Minister said that every one can’t get a Government job and other income generating avenues will have to be explored to create economic avenues for the youth. “We have schemes like Udaan but what my Government has tried to do, is to get the companies to J&K and train our youth here so that we are able to use their expertise in the State itself,” she said. “Otherwise, the youth who are trained under Udaan mostly are employed outside J&K”, she added.
Chief Minister said the State Government has also asked various corporate houses to adopt one Polytechnic each under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for value addition of these technical institutions. “30 such institutions have already been identified,” she added.
Mehbooba said that people should move ahead of getting backward class status to their areas. “In this century, we still demand to get backward status for our areas,” she told the house, but we need to move ahead,” he added.
Lauding the administration for their work, Chief Minister said:”If we trust them, they will do wonders. I have told my officials to spend two days in the field to expedite the works on the ground. “Otherwise, you are aware how Governments have been working in J&K,” she said.
Seeking cooperation and support from opposition to implement various initiatives taken by her Government for entrepreneurship and skill development, Mehbooba said: “We are not doing any project exclusively for any particular constituency. The steps taken by us are for the welfare of the people in every nook and corner of the State.”
Maintaining that J&K has huge employment potential in tourism and hospitality sectors, Chief Minister said: “These sectors are getting a boost and we will be bringing in trainers to train our youth in relevant trades so that they get employment immediately”, she added.
“The Government is mulling to bring the local businessmen and corporate houses under various schemes who could later hire local youth for various jobs in tourism and hospitality sectors,” Mehbooba said.
Earlier, Government said it has launched a number of schemes to tackle the unemployment problem with special emphasis on employment in private sector, self employment and skill development for enhancing employability of the youth in the State.
In a written reply to a question of MLA Mohammad Akbar Lone, the Minister Incharge said 4346 income generating units under Seed Capital Fund Scheme, 791 units under Youth Start Up Loan Scheme, 2121 units under National Minority Development Finance Corporation and 688 income generating units have been established so for in the State to tackle the un-employment problem.
The Minister in reply to a question of MLA Engineer Rashid assured that Government would take requisite steps to strictly implement the employment schemes including Udaan and Himayat in the State so that the benefits of these reach the un-employed educated youth well in time.
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