PM reviews J&K job plan progress

PM has reviewed the work of the Expert Group set up by him to prepare a job plan for J&K.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has
reviewed the work of the Expert Group set up by him to prepare
a job plan for Jammu and Kashmir and directed them to ensure
that the opportunities generated were sustainable.

The Group, headed by former RBI Governor C Rangarajan,
met the Prime Minister last evening for a review of the
progress of the tasks assigned to them.

"The Prime Minister desired that the group take into
account all relevant aspects, like skill enhancement,
education and appropriate involvement of civil society and
industry, so that employment opportunities generated are
sustainable," said a statement issued by the Prime Minister`s
Office (PMO).

Singh asked the group to give due regard to equity
considerations, in terms of various regions of the state,
sectors of the economy, levels of skill and gender, it said.

The Expert Group assured the Prime Minister that his
suggestions would be taken into account and its report would
be ready within three months.

The Group outlined the range if short and long term
measures being considered by it for a focussed impact on
enhancing the employment opportunities and improving the
employabililty prospects of people of the state, both within
the state and in the larger national economy, the PMO
statement said.

Singh had set up the panel of experts on August 10 to
formulate a job plan for Jammu and Kashmir that has some
3,00,000 unemployed youth.

NCP welcomes Centre`s package

Welcoming the eight-point initiative
announced by the Centre, Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist
Congress Party (NCP) today demanded the immediate setting up
of task forces for Jammu and Ladakh regions as proposed in the
package.

"We welcome the initiative. Our demand is that the task
forces proposed for Jammu and Ladakh should be immediately
constituted so that developmental concerns of the regions and
the restoration of peace and normalcy in the Valley can be
addressed simultaneously," state party president and former
minister Thakur Randhir Singh told reporters here.

The NCP leader stressed that while reviewing deployment
of security forces in Srinagar city and other towns of the
Valley, security concerns -- both present and those likely to
arise in future -- should be taken into account.

PTI

Zee News App: Read latest news of India and world, bollywood news, business updates, cricket scores, etc. Download the Zee news app now to keep up with daily breaking news and live news event coverage.