Minister for Finance, Culture, Labour & Employment, Dr. Haseeb A. Drabu today informed that the Government is keen to boost entrepreneurship to address the unemployment problem, besides provide Skill Development Courses under various welfare schemes.Replying to a question of Rani Gargi Blowria, the Minister informed under Sher-i-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme (SKEWPY), 4346 beneficiaries were covered under Seed Capital Fund scheme, 791 beneficiaries under Youth Start Up Loan Scheme, 2491 beneficiaries under Term Loan Scheme of NMDFC and 1558 beneficiaries under Women Entrepreneurship Programme of SKEWPY.
Dr. Drabu informed that 221217 youths benefitted under Voluntary Service Allowance since 2014-15 and Rs 11549.13 lakh were disbursed among them.
He said that the unemployed youth were provided training in sectors like Trading, Manufacturing, Food Processing, Dairy Farming, Readymade Garments, Sheep Farming, Poultry, Handicrafts, Tourism, Fashion Designing, Medical & Healthcare and Agro allied sectors to generate employment.The Minister informed that under National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) UMEED, 97861 poor women have been brought within the fold of this programme in 10,007 Self Help Groups. He said under UDAAN programme, 10418 youth have been trained, of which 6419 were offered jobs and 7153 candidates are under training during current financial year. Under HIMAYAT programme, 64782 youth have been trained, of which 49991 have been provided employment during the last 3 years and 3896 candidates are under training during current financial year, he added.Dr. Shehnaz Ganai and Surinder Choudhary raised supplementary to the main question.