Srinagar: Reaching out to unemployed youth and aspiring entrepreneurs in the Maisuma area in the City Centre, Jammu and Kashmir Khadi and Village Industries Board Vice Chairperson Dr Hina Shafi Bhat Friday said that the previous regimes had deprived the residents of Maisuma and downtown areas of jobs and development.
Presiding over the interactive session with educated unemployed youth and aspiring entrepreneurs in the Maisuma area of Srinagar which used to be infamous for stone pelting and producing stone pelters known by their nicknames ‘Maisuma Mandela’, ‘Dharma’ and ‘Bad Dog’, Dr Hina said that the previous regimes had ignored Maisuma and Srinagar downtown and kept these places caught in vitriolic spells of violence and instead paid attention to Gupkar and other so-called high-profile places.
She said that Lt Governor Manoj Sinha-led government was committed to undo all injustices.
Dr Hina said that recently J&K KVIB had been given the mandate for implementation of PMEGP in urban areas of J&K.
She said that upper project ceilings under PMEGP had also been enhanced in the manufacturing sector from Rs 25 to 50 lakh and in the service sector from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.
Dr Hina enjoined the educated unemployed youth and aspiring entrepreneurs to channelise their energy and enthusiasm for nation-building through the establishment of self-employment enterprises.
She said that during the current financial year, 785 cases involving margin money of Rs 13.87 crore had been sponsored to finance bank branches of which 310 cases involving margin money of Rs 5.34 crore had been sanctioned by the banks.
Dr Hina reiterated the need for time-bound processing of these cases.
She underlined the need for close coordination and synchronisation among the line departments and bankers to ensure that the benefits of these schemes percolated the target population.
Dr Hina assured that every kind of hand-holding support would be extended to aspiring and prospective entrepreneurs to ensure hassle-free processing of their proposals both at implementing agencies as well as at the bank level.
During the interactive session, the officers gave detailed presentations about the modalities involved in the implementation of JKREGP and PMEGP.
The stakeholders were informed that these schemes were online and aspiring entrepreneurs could apply online for availing of financial assistance under these schemes.
Presentations were also given on SFURTI and Credit Guarantee Scheme.
Secretary and CEO J&K KVIB Aziz Ahmad Rather, senior officers of the board, General Manager DIC, senior officers from banks, and a large number of aspiring entrepreneurs and educated unemployed youth of the area attended the session.