Srinagar, July 04: Chief Secretary Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, while chairing the 10th Meeting of the Union Territory Level Bankers’ Committee, launched the ambitious “Swarozgar Utsav” campaign in Jammu and Kashmir. The campaign aims to provide gainful self-employment opportunities to the youth of the region. The meeting, held at the Banquet Hall in Srinagar, was attended by prominent government officials, banking executives, and representatives from financial institutions.
Highlighting the government’s efforts to ensure the sustainability and viability of self-employment ventures, Chief Secretary Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta stressed the importance of identifying the needs and skills of beneficiaries. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive actionable plan to saturate self-employment in Jammu and Kashmir, making it one of the lowest unemployment rate regions in the country.
During the event, Chief Secretary Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta called for increased financial literacy campaigns and media awareness programs to educate the people about the benefits of financial inclusion, social security, and government-sponsored schemes. He urged the banks and financial institutions to extend their support and provide financial assistance to those in need, following the lead of J&K Bank, which has shown confidence in lending.
The ‘Swarozgar Utsav’ campaign, launched by Chief Secretary Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, aims to provide employment opportunities to every individual in Jammu and Kashmir. The campaign will be implemented in every panchayat and ward across the region, starting from today and continuing until September 30, 2023. MD & CEO of J&K Bank, Baldev Prakash, expressed optimism and assured the government of the banking fraternity’s full support in implementing programs and schemes for entrepreneurial development, employment generation, and poverty alleviation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Chief Secretary Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta further directed the banks to collaborate with designated Panchayat Prabhari Officers during the ‘Swarozgar Utsav’ campaign and customize employment plans based on specific areas and the requirements of the people. He also emphasized the importance of promoting digital payments and urged the banks to launch a three-month-long campaign titled ‘Digital JK – Digital Payments’ to realize the government’s vision of a “less-cash society.”
During the meeting, General Manager of J&K Bank, Syed Rais Maqbool, presented the financial achievements of various banks in different sectors during the 2022-23 financial year. It was revealed that banks in Jammu and Kashmir have achieved 118% of the target under the Annual Credit Plan, disbursing credit amounting to Rs. 60,048 Crore to 17,16,527 beneficiaries. Furthermore, loans totaling Rs. 2,016 Crore have been sanctioned to 48,120 beneficiaries under major employment generation schemes.
