Srinagar, Jun 18 (IANS): In order to increase the engagement of youth at the panchayat level, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday directed the concerned officials to establish youth clubs in every panchayat across J&K for constructive activities and addressing the concerns of the younger generation.
In the first phase, 22,500 youth from 4,290 panchayats will be engaged in the youth clubs, costing the government exchequer Rs 12 crore for this initiative.
Sinha was chairing the governing body meeting of ‘Mission Youth', wherein approvals were accorded to a host of schemes which will be launched soon in various sectors to make a greater impact on the youth engagement and livelihood generation programmes in the Union Territory.
The meeting also decided to start two state-of-the-art coaching centres in Jammu and Srinagar to impart coaching for civil services and other competitive exams under PARVAAZ, a livelihood generation scheme.
The government, through Mission Youth, will provide financial assistance to dental surgeons to start their own clinic. In the first phase, 400 dental surgeons and 800 paramedics will be selected for a specially tailored self-employment scheme, the Lt Governor said.
Emphasising on the effective execution of the programme, Sinha directed the concerned officials to put dedicated focus on effective implementation of youth-oriented schemes on the ground. He further called for convergence and linkages of the existing schemes with the proposed ones to yield better results.
"It is important to incorporate the younger generation's perspectives in government policies and ensure their participation and representation at all levels. Health, education, economy and employment are some of the key areas where young people can contribute for the sustainable development of the UT," the Lt Governor said.
Underlining the importance of market-driven training for the youth of J&K, besides imparting soft skill training to the youngsters, Sinha suggested roping in reputed organisations/corporate houses, and the Centre for Invention, Innovation, Incubation and Training (CIIIT) at Baramulla and Jammu for up-skilling of the youth.
The Lt Governor asked the CEO of Mission Youth to establish Mission Youth Centres with recreational facilities in Jammu and Srinagar, besides setting up digital libraries in coordination with the education department in every district.
Directions were also passed for setting up one-stop facilitation centres for guiding the youth regarding the benefits of different schemes.
Stressing on the need to extend psycho-social support to the youth, Sinha instructed the officials to establish counselling centres in eight districts, four in each division.
Laying special emphasis on the welfare of youth with disabilities, Sinha directed for organising mega camps in the UT.
Under Mission Youth, 5,000 youth with disabilities in the 18-35 age-group will be covered and provided with access to the existing schemes, skilling, connect with digital world, livelihood support, and link-up with banking and financial institutions, he added.
For the promotion and development of community-based entrepreneurship, Sinha set the target of establishing 50 model community entrepreneur units during 2021-22.
Addressing the need for enhancing the skills of the youth in clinical management, directions were passed to train at least 1,000 youth through various technical courses in different fields.