Srinagar, July 16: Chairman J&K People’s Democratic Front (JKPDF) and former minister Hakeem Muhammad Yaseen on Sunday expressed serious concern over the “alarming unemployment rate” in Jammu & Kashmir, and urged the Centre to announce a special employment package, especially in Central government departments, “to prove its oft-repeated assurances and sincerity towards J&K youth”.
According to a statement, Hakeem while speaking to a deputation from Khansahib Budgam said, “The available statistical data about the unemployment rate in Jammu & Kashmir is quite contradictory to the government’s tall claims about providing thousands of jobs to the unemployed youth. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy has pegged the unemployment rate in J&K as the highest in the country. This is a cause of serious concern as unemployed youth in thousands are getting trapped into drug addiction out of sheer frustration and depression.”
The PDF chairman has urged the Centre to announce a special employment package for youth, especially in Central government departments if it was “serious and sincere” towards the welfare of the people of J&K. “The government was duty-bound to come to the rescue of the unemployed youth and provide them with jobs for their livelihood,” he said.
Yaseen also demanded a monthly stipend of Rs 20,000 in favour of each unemployed graduate youth and Rs 15,000 for each undergraduate unemployed person till a special employment package was announced by the Centre.
“When militancy was at its peak in Kashmir Valley, hundreds of educated unemployed youth were recruited in Central government departments and PSUs including AG’s Office, and various insurance corporations and Indian Railways under a fast-track special recruitment drive,” he said, adding, “The failure on the part of the government to provide jobs to unemployed youth has made their future bleak, due to which they are becoming easy prey to drug mafia and in some cases, take extreme steps like suicides.”
The PDF leader added, “Instead of creating more employment opportunities, the government in haste has started outsourcing government jobs and government properties like JKTDC and SKICC which has struck the last nail on the hopes of unemployed youth. The plight of contractual employees, daily wagers, Anganwadi and ASHA workers was also miserable and the government was acting as a mute spectator to the much annoyance of the common people.”
Hakeem also criticized the government for keeping many ambitious developmental projects in languishing status for decades in the Khansahib constituency which includes the construction of two mini hydel power projects at Nalla Shaliganga and Nalla Sukhnag, the construction of a grid station at Khansahib and the construction of Gulmarg-Tossamaidan and Yusmarg tourist circuit.
“The early execution of these developmental works was imperative for the overall socio-economic transformation of the area and its prosperity,” he said.
