Release start-ups budget: Jai Ram to Himachal govt

Jai Ram Thakur emphasised that it has been over 18 months since the government took office, yet no youths in the state have benefited from the scheme while demanding answers regarding when the youth of the state would begin receiving the benefits promised under the start-up scheme.

Leader of the opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday questioned the Congress government’s commitment to its election promise of implementing a start-up scheme and criticised the current government for not delivering on its guarantee.

Leader of the opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday questioned the Congress government’s commitment to its election promise of implementing a start-up scheme and criticised the current government for not delivering on its guarantee. (HT File)

Thakur emphasised that it has been over 18 months since the government took office, yet no youths in the state have benefited from the scheme while demanding answers regarding when the youth of the state would begin receiving the benefits promised under the start-up scheme.

The leader of opposition said that it has been a long time now, the Sukhu government should declare the results of competitive examinations pending for years and provide them employment. “The government cannot ignore the future of the youth like this. It has been more than one and a half years since the government was formed. Now the Sukhu government should release the budget of the start-up fund as soon as possible,” he said.

He said that the Congress had promised to establish a start-up fund totaling ₹680 crore, earmarked at ₹10 crore per assembly constituency, after forming the government. Thakur further criticised the Congress leaders for collecting beneficiary forms from youths before the elections, only to see no action taken on those promises since their electoral victory.

Jai Ram Thakur said that the government came to power by promising to provide employment to lakhs of youth, but the government is neither providing employment to the people nor allowing the enterprising youth to provide jobs to the people. “Under the Swavalamban scheme in the previous government, a total investment of ₹721 crore was made in the state. A grant amount of ₹200 crore was provided by the government under this scheme. A total of 4377 units were approved in this. If this scheme had not been stopped due to political animosity, thousands of employment opportunities and revenue would have been generated in the state. But due to the short-sightedness and vindictiveness of the Sukhu government, the youth of the state are facing problems,” he added.