PMJAY to be launched on Dec 1
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 22:Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam today asked the J&K Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) to take urgent tangible measures for widening geographical coverage of its schemes with focus on promoting more viable agri-businesses, food processing and handicraft sectors.
“JKEDI shouldn’t limit its entrepreneurship development programmes to urban areas only, but should extend the geographical reach of its schemes by encouraging entrepreneurs in rural areas of the State as well, who have limited exposure to various investment avenues,” Chief Secretary said while speaking at the 21st Governing Body meeting of JKEDI here this afternoon.
Principal Secretary Finance, Navin K Choudhary, Principal Secretary Planning, Development & Monitoring, Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary Industries & Commerce, Shailendra Kumar, Commissioner Secretary, Labour & Employment, Saurav Bhagat, Secretary, Technical Education, AK Sahu, Secretary, Agriculture Production & Horticulture, Manzoor Ahmad Lone, Director JKEDI, Mohammad Ismail Parray and other concerned officers were present at the meeting.
Chief Secretary asked JKEDI to channelize investment in more viable and sustainable sunrise sectors like food processing, horticulture, tourism, hospitality, IT/ITeS (information technology enabled services) and handicrafts which have tremendous potential in the State.
“Constant flow of investment in such sectors is imperative to bring about sustainable growth, development, jobs and socio-economic transformation in the State,” he said and added that increasing production capacity in such vital sectors through constant flow of investment holds ample entrepreneurial potential for the local youth. “Besides, access to finance must be made easy so that the budding entrepreneurs can bring in continuous innovation and adopt aggressive marketing strategies to increase their target market size,” he said.
To work out a roadmap for augmenting investment in these key sectors by JKEDI, Chief Secretary directed for constitution of a high-level official panel with Administrative Secretaries of Finance, Industries & Commerce, Agriculture Production, Horticulture, Animal & Sheep Husbandry and Labour & Employment Departments and JKEDI as Members. He said the Committee will submit its report by November 30 this year.
In a significant decision aimed at putting in place an effective monitoring mechanism in JKEDI, the Governing Body approved creation of one post each of Executive Director and Financial Advisor/CAO who shall be always deputed to the Institute by the State Government.
Director JKEDI, Dr M I Parray briefed the Governing Body about the progress and performance of the Institute for the financial year 2018-19. Action taken report on the decisions taken in the 20thGoverning Body Meeting was also reviewed.
Meanwhile, Government said that Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana- National Health Insurance Programme, will be launched in Jammu and Kashmir on December 1.
This was announced at the 2ndmeeting of the Governing Council of the Ayushman Bharat programme chaired by the Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam here this evening.
Financial Commissioner Housing and Urban Development K B Aggarwal, Principal Secretary Health and Medical Education Atal Dulloo, Principal Secretary, Finance Navin K Choudhary, Commissioner Secretary Labour & Employment, Saurabh Bhagat, Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department, Hilal Ahmed Parray, Secretary IT Saugat Biswas, CEO NHM Bhupindra Kumar, Director SKIMS Omar Javid Shah and other officers attended the meeting. The meeting was also attended by the representatives of Bajaj Alianz insurance.
Chief Secretary directed the officers to frame a timeline for rolling out the scheme so that the aim and objectives of the scheme is fulfilled well in time.
Saying that the scheme is meant to benefit the downtrodden sections of the society, Chief Secretary directed for hassle-free identification, registration and implementation of the scheme.
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