Draft employment policy on anvil: Slathia

JAMMU, MARCH 06: The Minister for Industries & Commerce, S. S. Slathia today informed the House that Government has constituted a Committee to frame a draft employment policy to tackle with the unemployment problem in the State. The Committee, comprising of learned Advocate General, Principal Secretaries of Law, Finance and GAD, have been asked to examine the legal and financial issues involved in the regularization of ad-hocees, contractuals and consolidated candidates.

The Minister was replying to a question of Balwant Singh Mankotia in the Legislative Assembly today. He said Government has taken various effective steps to contain the problem of unemployment in the State. For the purpose, he said all out efforts are being made to create more productive employment opportunities in the Government as well in the corporate sector.

The Minister said till now the Government have no proposal to provide one job to one member of each family. However, selection process in respect of posts already referred to the J&K Public Service Commission and SSRB have been put on a fast track. He said remaining vacant posts have been identified and referred to the designated recruitment agencies, adding that if necessary new posts will also be created in the State.

For attracting private investment in Information Technology, Industry and Tourism sectors, the Minister said serious dialogue with the corporate sector has been initiated at the highest level which has already started yielding dividends.

The Minister said, in addition to this, various Central and State sector self-employment schemes are being implemented effectively to encourage young entrepreneurs to establish their own units. He said one polytechnic college is being established in each of the districts of the State and existing ITIs are also being strengthened to impart necessary technical skills to the youth to make them eligible for private sector employment.

The Minister said that Skill Development Institute (SDI) has been proposed to be established for imparting intensive skills to school drop outs to maximum of Rs 2 lakhs, while as, 50 per cent on support for adventure and recreation tourism up to maximum of Rs five lakh, he further said that 50 per cent subsidy is being provided up to maximum of Rs one lakh to the intending persons for purchase of adventure tourism equipment.

The Minister said that Union Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned Rs. 3.65 crore for development of Gurez and Tulail valleys as tourism destinations. He said that under this programme, various tourism related works are in progress in the tehsil, adding that Rs 2 lakh have been placed at the disposal of SDM, Gurez for execution of 3 log huts.

The Tourism Minister said that Dhar-Mahanpur area has been notified in the Tourism Incentive Rules, 1995 under less developed area in category “B”.

Replying to a question raised by Jagdish Raj Sapolia, Jora said that the Tourism department has constructed sarai building at Mata Joudian for pilgrims and visitors. He said that construction work of TRC, Basholi costing Rs 1.83 crore is in progress.

Jora said that Union Minister of Tourism has sanctioned infrastructure development scheme for Lakhanpur at a cost of Rs 2.64 crore. He said that the Ministry has also sanctioned Lakhanpur-Bani-Basholi Sarthal Tourism Circuit development programme at a cost of Rs 8 crore, for which Rs 6.39 crore have been released, so far.

Replying to the supplementaries raised by Raman Bhalla, Ashwani Sharma, A.R. Veeri, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, Abdul Haq Khan, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta, Peer Afaq Ahmad, Syed Bashir Ahmad and Ms Sakina Ittoo, the Tourism Minister said that to showcase the tourism potential of the State, a strong publicity campaign has been launched through print and electronic media across the country to attract more and more tourists to the State. He said that organization of tourist melas was another area of attention for attracting the tourists. He said that Government was keen to explore hitherto unknown tourist spots to boost the tourism sector in the State.

The Tourism Minister said that a comprehensive strategy was needed to divert maximum number of Vaishno Devi pilgrims towards nearby tourist spots to promote tourism in Jammu division. He said that Cable Car project (Ropeway between Mubarak Mandi to Bagh-e-Bahu) is under tendering process and work on the project would start soon. (NAK)