Describing Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth (SKEWPY) and Jammu and Kashmir State Self Employment Scheme (JKSES) as right initiatives to address unemployment problem in the state, Minister for Planning, Labour and Employment, Ajay Sadhotra said that these most effective self employment schemes would encourage the youth to earn livelihood as entrepreneurs.This was stated by the Minister after inaugurated two days employment fair organized by Department of Labour & Employment, District Employment & Counseling Centre Udhampur in the premises of Government Degree College Udhampur here today.MLA, Udhampur, Mr. Balwant Singh Mankotia, Commissioner Secretary, Labour and Employment, Mr. B. A Runyal, Labour Commissioner, Mrs. Nirmal Sharma, Director Employment, Dr. Abdul Rashid, District Development Commissioner, Udhampur, Mrs. Yasha Mudgal, Additional DC, Mr. Ajay Singh Jamwal, Joint director Planning, Mr. Rakesh Jamwal, ACD, Mr. Pawan Parihar, Deputy Director Employment, Mr. Sundesh Sharma, officers of different Departments and people in large number were present on the occasion.
The Minister said that though the Government would explore all possibility to create jobs in public sector, but the educated youth should also come forward to set up their income generating self employment units to earn with dignity and honour and contribute in the state economy. He also stressed the need for creating maximum awareness about the state and centrally sponsored self employment schemes among the unemployed youth so that they could set up their own income generating units for economic prosperity.The Minister stressed upon the unemployed educated youth to avail the benefit of such employment fairs by knowing about the self-employment schemes started by the government to create employment opportunities. The Minister also asked the DDC to strengthen the Single Window System for providing information about the employment schemes.
The Minister later took a round of the fair and inspected the stalls set up by various departments for disseminating information about welfare and other schemes launched by them. He appreciated different departments and agencies for providing necessary information to the unemployed youth regarding various self-employment schemes.On the occasion, the Minister also distributed cheques among the beneficiaries under Building and other Construction Welfare Board and SC/ST corporation benefit schemes.Speaking on the occasion, MLA, Mr. Balwant Singh Mankotia said that a strategy should be made for generating awareness by holding door to door campaigns about the income generating schemes of the government at village and block level. He stressed upon the officers for providing proper guidance to the unemployed youth in this regard.The DDC, Mrs. Yasha Mudgal also spoke on the occasion and called upon the unemployed youth to avail the opportunity from this fair and make themselves self dependent. She said that the fair would go a long way in the socio economic upliftment not only of the unemployed youth but the other people associated with them.