Our highest priority is to provide employment opportunities to each job seeker: CS

STATE TIMES NEWS SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, on Thursday remarked that the

next goal of the UT after ensuring basic amenities to all of its population is to provide employment to all the job seekers. Dr Mehta was speaking in a meeting called to review the overall implementation of Employment Generation Schemes by different government departments in association with financial institutions in the UT. Besides the Commissioner Secretary, Labour& Employment, the meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, Agriculture; Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce; Commissioner Secretary, RDD; Secretary, PD&MD; Secretary, Tribal Affairs; Mission Director, JKRLM; DG Planning besides other officers of the concerned departments. During the meeting the Chief Secretary maintained that J&K has been successful in providing basic amenities like roads, drinking water and electricity to most of its population besides access to important services such as health and education. He said that the focus now on is to providing employment to all those who are desirous to avail such opportunities.
The Chief Secretary reiterated that in spirit of implementing the commitments made by the Lieutenant Governor, Shri Manoj Sinha regarding empowerment of women and youth it is imperative that each of the concerned Departments should make these as their targets and work out plans to achieve them in a time bound manner.
He first stressed on having the relevant data of this population to make effective strategies accordingly. He called for creating a database on the lines of ‘India Stack’ to promote the interests of women and youth.
He maintained that the gap between the demand and target of schemes should be properly studied and measures taken to bridge the same. He noted that the section of population desirous of taking any kind of should be catered to as per the aspirations of these people.
Dr Mehta further impressed upon all the concerned Departments to reposition their targets to saturate demands in their sectors. He called for creation of Panchayat level employment plans for reflecting the actual ambitions of youth regarding the kind of engagements they want for themselves as per their strengths and available opportunities that are viable.
On the occasion the Commissioner Secretary, Labour& Employment, RehanaBatul informed the meeting that this financial year under different Self Employment Schemes implemented by different Departments 19733 units stand established till date generating employment for more than 95000 persons. She further informed that in addition 36 job fairs were held during this time at different locations providing employment to 614 persons.
Moreover it was revealed that the Department has registered 251336 educated youth including 85540 women for giving counseling and other relevant assistance for securing employment. It was given out that till July this year a total of 15807 counseling sessions were held which were attended by 44433 persons, besides 180 awareness camps attended by 13809 candidates.
The meeting was also apprised that under National Career Service project 17 District Employment & Counselling Centers were upgraded as model career centers. These Model Career Centers are expected to connect job seekers with all available job opportunities in addition to offering counselling and other related services to unemployed youth in the UT.