Empowerment of youth and women, besides panchayati raj institutions, in Jammu and Kashmir is the top priority of the United Progressive Alliance government in the State, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said here on Thursday.
After the inauguration of a Controlled Atmosphere Storage (CAS) for apple growers of South Kashmir at Lassipora in Pulwama district and later at his interaction with 100 youths and 200 women, drawn from self-help groups at Budgam, Mr. Gandhi said he was not too much optimistic about the results when he launched the Umeed initiative in Uttar Pradesh eight years ago. “But when intentions are clear and efforts are made with sincerity, targets are always achieved.”
Buoyed by the success in his Lok Sabha constituency and other parts of the U.P. — where he claimed that over a million women became Umeed beneficiaries today — Mr. Gandhi said he introduced the Central scheme in J&K, where it is now being implemented in four blocks — Khansahab and Lar in Kashmir, and Chenani and Basohli in Jammu. Efforts were on to extend it to all 150-odd community blocks in the State, he said.
When SHG representatives from the four blocks complained that Jammu & Kashmir Bank imposed rigorous formalities for sanctioning the financial support promised by the government, Mr. Gandhi and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assured them that the matter would be resolved urgently.
The ruling coalition leaders, accompanied by Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge of J&K Ambika Soni and Pradesh Congress Committee chief Saifuddin Soz, also interacted with the gathering of 100 youths being trained under the Centrally-sponsored Himayat programme in different districts. Mr. Gandhi assured them of better training and incentives, besides job opportunities.
Earlier, speaking at Lassipora, Mr. Gandhi said 15,000 jobs had been already provided under Himayat and Udaan initiatives in the State. One lakh youth would get this benefit within the next few years. Mr. Gandhi also visited the State headquarters of his party on Maulana Azad Road.
