Jammu Chief Secretary Chairs Mission YUVA Apex Committee Meeting

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo led a meeting of the Apex Committee of Mission YUVA to assess the performance of the self-employment initiative in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting included Deputy Commissioners from all districts who participated via video conferencing.

The Chief Secretary praised the Labour & Employment Department for its detailed monitoring and data analysis of the Mission’s progress. He emphasized the importance of utilizing analytical insights for targeted interventions at the district and panchayat levels. Special focus was directed towards underperforming blocks to implement corrective measures promptly.

Additionally, the Chief Secretary highlighted the potential of ‘Lakhpati Didis’ under the NRLM and suggested enhancing their capacities and empanelling them as motivators under Mission YUVA. He recommended adopting successful models from states like Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Bihar to empower Self-Help Groups further.

The meeting also discussed the need for ongoing ‘UdyamJagriti’ campaigns, emphasizing the importance of IEC activities in colleges and enhancing the efficiency of Incubation Centres and Innovation Hubs. The Chief Secretary urged banks to expedite loan disbursements and provide post-sanction mentoring and support for successful outcomes.

During the presentation, Secretary of Labour & Employment Kumar Rajeev Ranjan revealed that Mission YUVA has received responses from nearly 95% of panchayats in the UT. Loans totaling ₹847 crore have been sanctioned to 14,887 applicants, with 76% disbursed so far. The aim is to reach ₹1,500 crore by the end of the financial year.

Managing Director of Mission YUVA Shahzad Alam highlighted the tracking of established units for productivity and outcomes through a digital dashboard, ensuring sustainable enterprises. Performance analytics, loan applications, and progress updates were shared during the meeting.

Reiterating the commitment of J&K Bank, the Managing Director informed about upcoming disbursements and targets to be achieved by the end of the financial year. Other stakeholders, including representatives from IIM Jammu, IIT Jammu, universities, SKUAST, and NABARD, shared their commitment to support Mission YUVA.