To reinforce the employment opportunities and generate livelihood avenues for educated unemployed youth, Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) has disbursed Rs. 7.90 crore for establishment of 216 units and trained 600 entrants in Ramban district.Like other districts, one community mobilization and engagement centre has been set up in Ramban.Out of 216 small scale and large scale units, 84 are functioning under Seed Capital Fund Scheme (SCFS), 50 under Youth Start up Loan Scheme (YSLS) and 82 under Himmayat scheme. The first two schemes were started in 2012 while as the third one was introduced in 2015 in Ramban district.Pertinently, Himmayat scheme and YSLS are exclusively financed by the JKEDI on very simple interest rates of 6% per annum whereas for SCFS, 35% of the amount in the shape of subsidy is credited in advance to the beneficiary account and rest of 65% is paid by the Jammu and Kashmir Bank Ltd on concessional interest rates.Since the inception of the employment schemes, the institute has taken forward several steps to inspire educated youth towards employment and entrepreneurship and today some of them have turned successful entrepreneurs.
The main mega units of JKEDI in the district are JK Automobile Nowgam, Libaas garments and textile Banihal, Sumit Gas Agency Sangaldan, Alnoor furnishing House Gool, Wazir Traders Sangaldan, Kalika Caters Batote, Surinder dairy farm Seeri, Suraj Hardware Seeri, Imtiaz Bartan Store Maitra, K.K Manufacturing Ramban, Parihar Crockery store etc. under three main schemes.At Gool and Sangaldan more than 39 units under Himmayat scheme, 15 under YSLS and 07 under SCFS are running at Thatharka, Kantha, Mawalkote, Dehada, Bimdassa, Moila, Daram, Gundi, Partmula, Maha kund, Bada Kund, Famrote and various other remotest locations. Likewise at Batote, 11 units fall under Seed Capital Fund, 03 each under YSLS and Himmayat scheme respectively.Banihal has remained main hub for promoting the entrepreneurship where total of 94 units are functioning in the villages like Pogal, Mahu Mangit, Neel, Sarbagni, Bata, Chamalwas, Chapnari, Sebnabati, Sujmatna, Kasloos, Shagun, Bohardhar, Parihinder, Neel Batoo, Varnihal etc. Manzoor’s departmental store and Sohail Computers have remained inspiring examples for conceiving the employment schemes. Both are having improved monthly turn over.
Mukhtiar Nabi has emerged as main beneficiary of the JKEDI. He informed about his success, “I was sitting idle after undergoing training in D. Pharmacy but when established my private business with the help of JKEDI, I have remained successful entrepreneur with monthly turnover of above 7 lakhs besides providing further employment to four more persons in my Garnment shop at Banihal”.In a like manner, Ramban town has the credit of opening 22 units under Seed capital Fund, 19 under YSLS and 07 under Himmayat scheme in number of trades.Showeta Devi runs a New Collection Boutique in Ramban town when contacted disclosed “I was working in tailoring shop at Upper Maitra under in very difficult circumstances but when I received loan under Seed capital Fund from JKEDI and Bank, my condition has improved a lot. My monthly turnover has been raised from 15000 to 1 lakh in lump sum. JKEDI has credited my account subsidy in advance and now I hope I can live comfortable life besides providing better education to my children”
The main trades chosen by the entrepreneurs in the district include Hardware shops, Karyana stores, Diary farms, Poultry farms, Spare parts shops, Readymade garments, Cosmetic shops, Electrical suppliers, Stationary points, Boutiques, sale and service of mobiles, restaurants, sheep farms, cement and iron stores, shuttering works, LPG distribution centres, furnishing houses, diagnostic centres, medical stores, Handloom centres, bee keeping units etc.To boost further activities under employment schemes, the JKEDI takes the help from Army, PRIs and other social agencies in mobilising the target groups besides outreaching uncovered areas. A Banihal based NGO-Alfalaha has also done tremendous job in bringing the youth under the ambit of the JKEDI. Besides, social media is also exploited in spreading awareness at grass root level. In the recent months, 08 structured awareness programmes have been held in the villages to motivate and guide the unemployed youth towards entrepreneurship.
Once in a year, a joint inspection by Bankers, officers of district employment and counselling centre and concerned institute team is conducted to verify the on-ground position of the operating units besides pre-disbursal and post-disbursal survey as and when required. Further, due support is provided by the JKEDI to the beneficiaries in preparing the project report.
However, training sessions on regular basis are organised for entrants with the help of trainers, resource persons and successful entrepreneurs of the district. The main resource persons are bankers, advocates and officers from Pollution Control Board, District Industrial Centre, animal husbandry etc.Moreover, the district has still not lagged behind in ensuring transparent recovery mechanism. Regular instalments have been made by the unit operators and till date no defaulter has been recorded as such in the entire district.Another entrepreneur namely Surinder Singh, a dairy farm owner transpired in his interview with the animal husbandry department, “I was very much confused with my vey negligible income of agriculture produce and living in penuries but when I was sanctioned Loan with the help of JKEDI, my monthly income was gradually increased up to 40000. I have recently purchased 4 more milch animals which will further give impetus to my earnings”.