Srinagar: Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta Tuesday asked banks here to target generation of around 5 lakh jobs for the youth of J&K.
He stressed on the banks to be socially more amenable by turning their focus to priority-sector lending. He also asked them to not focus on subsidies only but instead be the platforms to generate the gainful and sustainable employment.
Dr Mehta was speaking in a meeting to review the progress of Self Employment Schemes here in the UT.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, H&UDD; Principal Secretary, SDD; Commissioner Secretary, L&E; Commissioner Secretary, Social Welfare; Secretary, Tribal Affairs; Secretary, Planning; Secretary, Tourism and YS&S; Secretary, IT; Secretary, Culture; Secretary, Agriculture; Director, Employment; representatives of different banks and many other concerned officers.
The Chief Secretary, according to an official press release, urged all banks to work towards saturation of self-employment schemes. He said the motive should be to reach out to every unemployed youth of the UT and offer them opportunities for sustainable employment under various schemes.
Dr Mehta maintained that a lot of progress has been made in the past in each aspect of employment generation and making the whole process of lending financial assistance speedy and transparent. He advised them to work towards making the benefit reach every eligible person down there.
The Chief Secretary also enquired about the proportion of artisans, weavers and other educated persons covered under different schemes meant for them. He stressed on extending loans as per actual guidelines without creating difficulties for the applicants. He also impressed on creating viable and sustainable units that are profitable for its holders.
Dr Mehta also asked the concerned departments to carry out a mega employment drive preferably in next month in each block so that awareness is created among all the prospective beneficiaries in rural and far flung areas. He advised them to culminate it at panchayat level simultaneously with the ‘Back to Village’ program so that the coverage of beneficiaries percolates down to each panchayat.
He also reviewed the progress made under respective employment schemes extended by different departments and targets set for them earlier. He implored upon them to regularly review their progress and take instant measures for achieving their targets well on time.
The Chief Secretary was informed that under PMEGP the Department of Industries & Commerce has cleared some 1379 cases sanctioning an amount of Rs 5669.00 lakhs with potential employment generation for 5291 persons. Similarly KVIB had cleared 4462 cases sanctioning Rs 9512.30 lakhs generating employment for more than 35000 persons.
Moreover it was revealed that JKRLM has sanctioned 5400 cases amounting Rs 10400.00 lakhs to 10800 beneficiaries. Under PMEGP (16931 cases), NRLM 2879 cases, NULM (871 cases), JKREGP (447 cases), PMWMY (482 cases), CCS for Artisans and Weavers (1312 cases) has been disbursed by the banks with a total amount of Rs 52580.92 lakhs, as was given out in the meeting.
The meeting was further apprised that the Departments of Labour & Employment, H&UD, Handicrafts & Handloom, Women Development Corporation has sponsored thousands of cases. In the same way many more cases were sponsored under Himayat and by JK SC, ST & OBC Corporation benefitting thousands of poor and marginalized people throughout the length and breadth of J&K.
