SRINAGAR: The report by Comptroller and Auditor Genearl Of India (CAG) has exposed the poor planning and performance of the J&K Handicraft Department for failing to provide employment opportunity for those who were trained across its 464 training centres in the state during the last five years.
The department runs 464 training centres, 145 in Jammu and 319 in Kashmir province for imparting training in 33 crafts.
According to the CAG report the training centres of the department were under utilised as only 53 percent entrepreneurs were trained in these centres during 2007-08 to 2011-12.
During the period the sole purpose of imparting training to unemployed for generating employment through formation of cooperative societies was also not achieved as only meagre number of cooperative societies was formed for organising the trainees.
According to CAG report, against an intake capacity of 58600 persons in 464 training centres of the department only 30901 persons (53 percent ) were trained during the period 2007-08 to 2011-12.
Further 371 cooperatives societies involving 4095 trainees (13 percent) were formed during 2007-08 to 2011-12 against the requirement of 2809 cooperative societies.
This defeated the main objective of the programme to generate employment in the Handicraft sector and an expenditure of 15.43 crore incurred on stipend,purchase of raw material,rent of training centres during the period 2007-12 was largely rendered unproductive.
The Assistant Directors,Handicrafts in March -April 2012 attributed poor performance of the programme to lack of interest among trainees to set up units.
Audit further noticed that in eight test checked districts,out of 31625 persons selected in 26 crafts during the period 2007-12 no male candidate was selected by the department.
As per the condition specified in the notification for selection of candidates, the department may recover the stipend along with penalities if the trainees leave the course midway or do not adopt the craft as their profession.
Audit observed that the department had not initiated any action to recover stipend of 4.04 crore from 14545 trainees who either left the training half way or did not adopt craft as a profession in eight test checked districts during the period 2007-12.The Assistant Directors,Handicraft in March/April/June 2012 that it was not possible to recover the stipend from the drop out trainees or trainees who had not established their units.
The CAG also observed that the department had not formulated any system for selection of candidates for trainings. Audit observed that 503 trainees of 65 training centres of seven test checked districts managed to get themselves enrolled for trainings in the same craft repeatedly thereby rendering expenditure of 16.58 lakh incurred thereon unproductive.
The Assistant Directors,Handicrafts in March -April 2012 stated that utmost care would be taken in future so that the candidates who had already received training do not get selected again.
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