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| Azad concerned over zero response from nationalised banks | | Says will take up matter with PM, RBI | | Srinagar, July 29
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has expressed concern over the absence of response from nationalised banks, operating in the State, towards advancing loans for self employment schemes and said that he would take up the issue with Prime Minister and Reserve Bank of India.
The Chief Minister was discussing the problem of unemployment with legislator and former minister, Ghulam Hassan Mir whom he had invited for conversation following the latter’s opinion on the subject expressed through print media.
Principal Secretary, Labour and Employment, B. L. Nimesh, Principal Secretary, General Administration Department, Khurshid A. Ganai and Director Employment, Azad Ahmad Lone were present.
Azad expressed disappointment over the report that almost all nationalised banks operating in the Valley gave cold shoulder to the self employment schemes forwarded to them for advancing loans. He said he would soon take up the matter with Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Governor, Reserve Bank of India. He said these banks were receiving huge deposits but failed to advance loans for self employment schemes approved and forwarded by the State government. He went to the extent of suggesting that if the banks did not fulfil their social obligations the government might consider measures available within law to change the situation.
The Chief Minister appreciated the concern shown by Mr. Mir over the unemployment scenario and said it was a welcome thing that he had expressed his opinion and come up with suggestions on a vital issue.
The Chief Minister was informed that 80 % of loans advanced by banks for self employment schemes forwarded by the state government came from the J&K Bank. The State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank distantly followed with 12 % and 8 %, respectively. The response from other nationalised banks operating here was zero. The loan advancement by J&K Bank also stood at a low of 25 % of the cases forwarded by the government.
Azad directed officials of the employment department to compile data about registered unemployed youth along with information on their land holdings so that various schemes of self employment could be devised for them. He said there was tremendous scope of self employment in horticulture and floriculture and the youth should take advantage of that, especially when the government was offering incentives for starting ventures. He said the absorption capacity in government sector was very limited and there was need to change the mindset that made an educated youth run after a government job only. He called for simplifying procedures for employment schemes and coming up with public-private partnership framework by various government departments.
The Chief Minister said that for the youth with elementary education, the government would consider imparting six month’s training in different trades like carpentry and masonry with a monthly stipend so that an 8th standard pass youth could gainfully engage himself and did not stand in the queue for government job where there were no takers for him. He said with centrally sponsored multi-crore Bharat Nirman and Sarveshiksha Abhiyan schemes there was lot of scope for skilled and semi skilled workforce at village level.
Principal Secretary, GAD informed the Chief Minister that the Subordinate Services Recruitment Board had cleared 6000 vacancies out of the 12000 referred to it by the government. Another 3000 were in the process of clearance. He said the State Public Service Commission would clear the entire backlog of referred vacancies by the year end.
Earlier, Mr. Mir said that the government should come up with a policy on unemployment to change the mindset of the youth to run after government jobs. He said both short and long term measures were required to tackle the problem of unemployment in the State.
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