Describing Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth as a right initiative to address the unemployment problem in Jammu and Kashmir, a state minister has asked the implementing agencies to achieve the targets in a time-bound manner.    "SKEWPY is a right initiative to address the vexed unemployment problem in Jammu and Kashmir," Minister for Labour and Employment, Planning and Development, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, said while reviewing the functioning of the Employment Department here yesterday. The Minister impressed upon the officers concerned to lay special emphasis on training youths and helping them to launch income generating units.

He sought special campaigns for popularising the initiative with an aim to motivate youths to take up challenging opportunities and help in creating an atmosphere of competitiveness among them. Sadhotra said the programme was aimed at transforming enterprising youths into entrepreneurs for not only achieving self-reliance but also to generate reasonable job avenues for others.
 
Underscoring the significance of the programme, he said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was keen to see it to succeed so that youths get viable source of earning their livelihood. He also made a fervent appeal to the educated unemployed youth to benefit from the schemes designed by the government.

The Minister was given an appraisal of the initiatives taken for the success of the programme. He was given a detailed brief on the seed capital provided to youth trained by Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) under SKEWPY.

An overview was also given about the Voluntary Service Allowance Scheme and steps taken for successful launching of self employment ventures by youths. The meeting was attended by the Commissioner Secretary Labour and Employment Yadullah, Director Employment, Dr Abdul Rashid, Joint Director Employment, Jammu, Manisha Sareen, Joint Director Employment Kashmir, Manzur Ahmed Sofi and Director JKEDI M I Parray, among others.