PM reviews progress of job plan for valley youth

A day after the Centre unveiled its eight-point initiative for the Valley, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reviewed progress made by an expert group tasked to design a plan to generate jobs for the state’s youth.

A day after the Centre unveiled its eight-point initiative for the Valley, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reviewed progress made by an expert group tasked to design a plan to generate jobs for the state’s youth.

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Prime Minister told the Expert Group headed by former RBI Governor C. Rangarajan, that should take into account all aspects like skill enhancement, education, involvement of civil society and industry so that the employment opportunities generated are sustainable.

One of the options being considered is seeking help from the private sector to expose young Kashmiris to life outside the state. For this, the private sector could be asked to absorb 50,000 students as interns.

The group which was set up on August 10 to formulate a job plan for the 3 lakh-plus unemployed youth in J&K promised Singh to submit its report within the three month deadline.

MoS in the Prime Minister's office Prithviraj Chavan, who is whipping up support for the package, said, “I am sure when the package unfolds, the intention of the government to sooth frayed tempers comes to the fore, there will be a positive reaction. But we are willing to

talk to anyone who wants to find a solution... political leaders, social leaders, NGOs, even people with different ideology... we are willing to talk to them,” Chavan said.

The CRPF, which is working to clarify that its jawans had acted with restraint, announced a cash reward of R2,500 to R7,500 for the 1,400 personnel who had been injured in stone-pelting incidents over the last three months.

CRPF officers said the announcement by N.K. Tripathi, CRPF Special. D G J&K Zone, was to raise the high morale of the personnel, who had come under criticism for the deaths of civilians.