Uneducated youth not given VSA from two years
Srinagar: The much-publicized Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Program for Youth (SKEWPY) policy that former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had launched on the 104th birth anniversary of National Conference founder Sheikh Abdullah in 2010 has proved a hoax as according to the unemployed youth no Voluntary Service Allowance (VSA) have been given to them from past three years.
A group of aggrieved candidates mostly from North Kashmirs Bandipore district said that they have been making rounds of government offices to get the benefits of this scheme.
We, at the time of submitting application forms to get benefits of this scheme, were asked to submit various documents. We spent weeks together to collect and submit all required documents, the unemployed youth from Sonawari Sumbal said.
They added that they were provided the benefits of the scheme for a few months and since then they are making rounds of offices to know the fate of the scheme.
The unemployed educated youth from South Kashmir echoed the same complaint and said that government has stopped providing them stipend since 2013.
Official sources told CNS that despite repeated reminders by the concerned department, the government right from the year 2013 did not provide funds under SKEWPY policy. We have been regularly giving our requirement of funds to the government every month but the funds have not been provided, they informed.
Although some funds have been provided for giving loan to the unemployed youth, but for giving Voluntary Service Allowance (VSA) to the unemployed educated youth of the state, we have not been provided any funds, said an official, wishing not to be named.
Pertinently, under the SKEWPY, the educated unemployed youths of the state were supposed to receive VSA for the period of three years. Minimum qualification eligibility for the VSA had been fixed at matriculation. As per the document released by the then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, a matriculate unemployed was supposed get Rs 500 per month as VSA for the period of three years while post-graduates and medical graduates were supposed to receive Rs 1,100 per month for the same period.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
ACT NOW |
MONTHLY | Rs 100 | |
YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |