Srinagar, July 23: Speaking at a function at J&K Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI), here today, Union Minister for Rural Development, Jairam Ramesh and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were not on same page regarding the criterion for selecting the youth for Himalayat programme.
 Ramesh said to empower Panchayats, more than 4000 gram Panchayats of the state will be given the power to select the under-privileged youth in their jurisdictions for Himayat programme.
 “Gram Panchayat will have clear idea about the people who are under-privileged and need benefits from this scheme,” he said.
 However, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the programme needed to be kept “out of all interventions and influences.”
 He said: “Merit should be only criterion to select the youth for training under Himayat. All political and other influences should strictly be kept away from this programme to ensure its success and retain faith of young boys and girls in this initiative.”
 He said: “This is the programme where our youth should not need influence of anybody to get selected. I would appeal Ramesh Sahab that selection criterion should be kept away from the Panchayats, as otherwise it will make the selection of these youth a political thing and people will use political influence to get their near and dear adjusted under this programme.”
 Pertinently, this year, program has set a target of imparting training to 7000 youth and facilitating their placement in various companies like IL&FC, Don Bosco, India Can and CAP Foundation.
 He said 2431 youth have been trained in the first two batches.
 This program was launched by the centre government in December last year in order to impart skill development trainings to the youth in the valley and also provide the job placements in different private sector companies.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 23 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
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