25 more blocks to be included in JKSRLM ambit in JK: Abdul Haq

SRINAGAR, JUNE 29, (PTK):   Expanding the ambit of its schemes, JK State Rural Livelihood Mission has set a target to extend its programme to another 25 blocks during current fiscal besides continuing its activities in existing 46 blocks. This was revealed by Minister for Rural Development, Law and Justice Abdul Haq during a meeting convened to discuss the plans to be executed during the current fiscal.

The meeting was attended by Secretary Rural Development Panchayati Raj,  Nirmal Sharma, Mission Director JKSRLM Bakshi Javid, Additional Mission Directors, Ishfaq Ahmad and Kapil Sharma besides other senior officers of the department.

Minister said the aim of the mission is to eliminate Poverty through social mobilization, Institution building, Financial Inclusion, facilitating women to have a sustainable Livelihood and increase Employability of youth through skilling.

Abdul Haq said government aims at federating the institutions of the poor at the village, cluster, block, district and state levels so as to strengthen their voice and their outreach.

Minister said as part of annual action plan activities, the Mission shall develop blocks each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions as Immersion Training Sites in existing resource blocs. He said these immersion sites shall be housed in existing Block Training Centres (BTCs) in centrally located resource blocks.

Abdul Haq said JKSRLM has submitted “State Level Capacity Building Plan” for the current fiscal under which the senior professional resource persons shall prepare structured training modules for various community cadre/community institutions

He said upscale the earnings of rural women, Automatic Milk Collection Centres have been established in collaboration with J&K Milk Producers Cooperative Limited and 200 Automated Milk Collection centres have been set up for marketing of Milk having 7145 beneficiaries. He said these Milk Collection Centres are 100% owned by the SHG members including its day to day operation and maintenance.

Abdul Haq said poor women are able to earn directly as high as of Rs 34/ litre for cow milk and Rs 55/ litre for buffalo milk as against earlier Rs 22/ litre and Rs 40/ litre respectively. 

On the occasion, Minister was informed that there are 18824 Self Help Groups (SHGs) registered with the department having 170708 members.

He said 3 additional districts were got approved for interest subvention, by Government of India and this year government plans to expand the ambit of the mission in 25 blocks.

Abdul Haq said in 5th State Employment Guarantee Council (SEGC) meeting, the council recommended that under JKSRLM, the focus areas should be Orchard development, Mushroom cultivation, medicinal plants, packaging and marketing of apples, cherries and other fruits, bee keeping, waste land development . He these recommendations will be taken care of in future.

Meeting was informed that under Himayat the government has a target worked out for the period for 3 years to train and place 1.24 lakh youth and the budget proposed for this purpose is Rs 1601.40 cores.

It was stated that the union Rural Development Ministry opened up the National Portal in July last year for registration of PIAs and filing of project applications online from prospective Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) for providing of training and employment to youth. Minister was informed that 106 Project Applications have been filed by PIAs online on National portal (MGRIS) till May this year while 70 shortlisted Project Applications have been referred for Appraisal to NIRD&PR.

Abdul Haq was further informed that 3818 candidates have registered for skill training and employment programme (Himayat) across state and three rounds of Screening/counselling process has been organized in different districts of Kashmir Division. It was said that 467 Candidates have been provisionally selected by three PIAs in different districts of Kashmir Division while screening/counselling shall be initiated in first week of July, 2017 in Jammu Division.(PTK)