Militancy feeding on unemployment: Omar

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday said two decades of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir was “feeding” on the problem of unemployment in the state.
 “The biggest two problems that my government faces are the challenges of maintaining a harmonious security environment both through militancy and law and order point of view and second problem is of unemployment and unemployability. While the first is not the direct consequence of the second, it is true that the first feeds on the result of problem of unemployment and unemployability because frustration among the youth is a ready handle to be misused,” Omar told a function where head of an expert panel assigned to formulate job plan for Jammu and Kashmir, C Rangarajan, handed over the report to him. 

 “Therefore this roadmap seeks to address the problem of unemployment and unemployability in the state particularly in the Valley where unemployment means government jobs.”
 He hoped that the job plan which provides for investment of around Rs 2000 crore to Rs 2500 crore would not be difficult task (for Government of India) to implement and unlike other reports in the past, it would be implemented.
 “For Government of India, (this amount) is like drop in ocean. We are not asking NHPC to handover Rs 30000 crore investments to us. This is a practicable report. If implemented it will be a successful story,” he said. “However the big challenge lies in that the beneficiaries are selected in fair and transparent manner.”
 He said it was not possible for his government to create enough government jobs to absorb all educated youth. He said while state’s non-plan expenditures like salary bill has increased from Rs 3500 crore in 2001-02 to Rs 14000 crore in 2011-12, there has not been increase in revenue generation. He said the initiatives like the employment policy launched by the state government last year and the job plan are significant to try and fix the problem.
 Omar said his government was sure that unlike other reports the job panel report would be implemented. “We are sure that this report will be put to good use and the youth is allowed to take advantage of it,” he said.
 Responding to a question about non-implementation of the reports, which had recommended a slew of measures to push economic scenario of JK, by government of India, Omar said it was for the government of India to decide whether the reports are actionable.
 The responsibility lies with government of India. The reports are at different stages of implementation.   
 He said though Rs 35000 crore investments has been made in just two projects—four laning of Srinagar-Jammu highway and rail project, unfortunately the investment is not seen in form of job creation or job generation.
 “If we are able to create skill base of youth to take advantage of this sort of investment I believe we can create conducive atmosphere to address unemployment problem.”
 The panel members including Dr KP Krishnan, Secretary, Principal Secretary to CM, BB Vyas, T Nanda Kumar, Member, Shakeel Qalander, Tarun Das, Member, Sushila Panjwani, Private Secretary to the Chairman, Expert group were present on the occasion.
 Earlier, Minister for Higher Education and Employment, AG Malik, welcomed the guests.

      

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