Srinagar, Aug 17: To make Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth (SKEWPY)- “more accessible” the state cabinet on Tuesday approved amendments to remove certain riders from it.
 The cabinet which met under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, approved setting up of 3-member cabinet sub-committee to study the slow progress in the implementation of the scheme and suggest measures for improvement.
 An educated youth belonging to a family with annual income of Rs 1.5 lakh—the income slab was earlier limited to Rs 50,000--would now onwards be entitled to the benefits under the policy besides the age limit for eligibility to Voluntary Service Allowance has now been reduced to 26 from 28 and there shall be no ceiling on land holdings. Earlier the land clause had mentioned that an individual having an orchard land of 20 kanal and 10 kanal of paddy shall not receive the benefits under the scheme. The Cabinet also approved increase of Rs 100 in the VSA applicable under the SKEWPY across the board. The amendments were proposed by the department of Labor and Employment in consultation with the Finance department. They were proposed after it was observed that only limited number of educated unemployed could avail the benefit of the scheme in its present form.
 “All the riders which had made the employment policy difficult to approach for an educated youth have been removed. The decision was taken following complaints that the implementation of policy has been affected because of the norms regarding family income and family land which would leave a small percentage of candidates eligible under the scheme,” sources said.
 They said the cabinet approved setting of the committee with senior cabinet members Taj Mohi-ud-din, Ghulam Hassan Mir, and Abdul Gani Malik as its members to study slow progress in implementing the policy.
 “The committee will recommend how the financial institutions and banks could be roped in for better results. The role of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute and overseas employment cell will be studied for better implementation of the employment policy,” sources said. The committee, which would be serviced by Labor and Employment department, has been asked to furnish its report within one month. In another decision, the Cabinet approved conversion of Electric Maintenance and Rural Electrification Sub-Division, Tangmarg along with creation of one post of Assistant Accounts Officer and delegation of DDO powers in favour of the Assistant Executive Engineer (Electric) posted in the proposed Special Sub-Division, Tangmarg.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST