SRINAGAR: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Thursday called for infusing greater vibrancy into the Jammu and Kashmir Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) to generate sustainable employment opportunities and strengthen the Union Territory’s economic landscape.
The Deputy Chief Minister made these remarks while chairing a comprehensive review meeting on the functioning of KVIB at the Civil Secretariat, Srinagar.
During the meeting, he reviewed the progress achieved under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) and the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Employment Generation Programme (JKREGP). He also assessed the establishment of units under both schemes during the current financial year and examined the overall implementation of employment generation initiatives being undertaken by the Board.
Emphasising the need for wider outreach, Choudhary directed the Board to launch an extensive awareness campaign through all available mediums, including social media platforms, to ensure maximum participation of aspiring entrepreneurs under these schemes. He stressed the importance of organising awareness camps in schools, colleges and rural areas across Jammu and Kashmir so that people, particularly youth and women, are fully informed about the benefits and opportunities available under various self-employment programmes.
The Deputy Chief Minister instructed officials to involve local public representatives in these awareness initiatives and ensure their active participation in outreach camps to strengthen public engagement and awareness at the grassroots level.
Calling for institutional reforms, Choudhary urged the Board to revamp its functioning by implementing tangible and result-oriented measures aimed at improving efficiency, transparency and service delivery. He said the organisation must become more proactive and responsive in facilitating entrepreneurship and employment generation.
“Our objective is to create employment opportunities and economic resources for the people who are willing to work, become self-reliant and emerge as job providers rather than job seekers,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister directed officers and employees to maintain the highest standards of transparency and accountability so that the benefits of government schemes reach deserving beneficiaries effectively and without delay. He stressed that public trust can only be strengthened through fair, transparent and efficient implementation of programmes.
He also emphasised the need to adopt best practices from successful implementation models in other regions to enhance the effectiveness and impact of KVIB initiatives. He said innovative approaches and proven strategies should be incorporated to improve outcomes and expand the reach of employment-generation programmes.
Special focus was laid on increasing women’s participation in entrepreneurship and self-employment initiatives. Choudhary said women should be encouraged and supported to take advantage of government schemes so they can contribute meaningfully to economic development and achieve financial empowerment.
The meeting also reviewed the functioning and progress of clusters established under the Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI). Directions were issued for further strengthening these clusters to support traditional industries, artisans and rural enterprises and to improve their competitiveness and sustainability.
Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Vikramjit Singh, along with senior officers of the Khadi and Village Industries Board and other concerned departments, attended the meeting.
