Pampore, Dec 7: Terming SKEWPY (Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for the Youth) right initiative to fight scourge of unemployment in the State, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Wednesday asked the educated youth to take advantage of this programme to seek respectable self acquired livelihood.
 Laying foundation of Rs 14.60 crore hostel building at J&K Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) Complex here, the Chief Minister, according to an official statement, said that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) hold promises to youth.
  “There is huge potential in agriculture, horticulture, tourism, IT and allied sectors to venture upon and seek economic prosperity for one’s own self and the State”, he added.
 The CM said the government is providing all sorts of facilities to the locals to make career in these fields and “be part of the holistic industrial development in the State.”
 “Government has took up MSME sector as one of the thrust areas,” he said, adding that budding entrepreneurs are being encouraged by way of providing financial support, marginal money and loans to do business in this field and earn livelihood for themselves and many more others.
 While government endeavouring to provide enhanced job opportunities to the educated youth in government sector, “the magnitude of unemployment requires a multi-pronged strategy to deal with,” he said.
 The CM said his government is working on plan to expand the job-market for the youth in government and private sectors. The Chief Minister said that skill development programmes and launch of job-oriented courses in higher educational institutions in the State have been put on focus. He said a chain of new polytechnics, ITIs and degree colleges approved to cover all areas in the State, is an important step in this direction.
  “We have to prepare our boys and girls to compete in the open market and make them prove their mettle”, he said, adding that JKEDI and other technical institutions in the State have to render their valuable services in this direction. He asked the Industries Department to encourage MSME sector and make youth aware of the facilities and assistance available to them in this regard.
 The Chief Minister also inaugurated the Guest House at the Complex which has been constructed at a cost of about Rs. 3 crore.
 Minister for Industries, S. S. Slathia highlighted the provisions of industrial policy and presented resume of the “new initiatives” taken by the Omar-led Government to encourage industrialization in the State.
 He said locals are being provided with “special facilities for launch of different ventures in different feasible fields.”
 Slathia said that the construction of hostel building at JKEDI Complex would facilitate the trainees and make their stay comfortable in the institute. The Industries Minister later reviewed the functioning of JKEDI at a meeting of the officers there.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 6 Dec 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 6 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Dec 2011 00:00:00 IST