Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 8: Terming Himayat as a landmark programme for ensuring skill development and employment generation, the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar has appealed the youth to come forward and avail maximum benefits from the same.
The Minister was speaking at the inaugural function of Himayat project being launched in collaboration with Jindal Steel Ltd and Livelihood Initiatives for Employment (LIFE) organized at Lasjan here today.
Commissioner Secretary, Rural Development, Farooq Ahmad Peer, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Jindal Steel Ltd, Rattan Jindal, Chairperson Jindal Steel Ltd, Deepika Jindal, Executive Director LIFE, Meenu Thommem, Corporate Head Community Social Responsibility, Brig. Rajeev Williams, Director Rural Development, Kashmir, Mir Altaf Ahmad, senior officers of Rural Development and prominent citizens of the area were present on the occasion.
The Minister said that Himayat scheme is one of the many initiatives undertaken by the Government for creating the avenues of employment generation for the youth and by imparting them with the skills of various trades so that they can earn their livelihood. He said that the special drive is also being launched to ensure that the students who are imparted the coaching programme are placed in various corporate houses within the state and outside.
Mr. Sagar said that the youth should come forward and avail maximum benefits of this landmark scheme besides the other ones like Uddan, Umeed and EDI which would go a long way in providing the employment opportunities to them by imparting in them the necessary expertise for setting up their own units or getting absorbed in the corporate sector.
Commissioner Secretary, Rural Development, Farooq Ahmad Peer while speaking on the occasion said that an amount of Rs. 126 crore has been earmarked under the scheme for the state and the target of imparting various skills to 70,000 students has been set. He said that out of the 8000 students trained, 5500 have been suitably placed outside the State.
Mr. Rattan Jindal while speaking on the occasion gave an overview of the corporate social responsibility of the company and assured that every sort of assistance would be extended for ensuring success of the programme.