‘CITaG to ensure technologically advanced governance’
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 26: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today said that Mission Yuva is a transformative movement aimed at changing mindsets and empowering the youth across Jammu and Kashmir economically.
He made these remarks while chairing a one-day session held for members of the Small Business Development Unit (SBDU) and Business Help Desk (BHD) under Mission Yuva..
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Secretary emphasized that Mission Yuva seeks to shift the youth’s mindset away from viewing Government jobs as the only career path. “It is an effort to bring about psychological and mental transformation among our youth. Once this happens, institutional support will enable them to realize their dreams and aspirations,” he said.
Atal Dulloo underscored the programme’s focus on sustainable economic opportunities, entrepreneurship and self-employment, stressing that vast employment potential lies across industries, agriculture, allied activities and the MSME sector in J&K. He called for creation of a strong economic ecosystem to facilitate the business development and community upliftment. “This is not merely a policy initiative; it is a people’s movement towards empowerment, social upliftment and economic self-reliance,” he added.
Highlighting the need for wider outreach, the Chief Secretary directed the officials to launch door-to-door awareness campaigns on employment opportunities under Mission Yuva besides proper handholding of aspiring entrepreneurs.
He urged all stakeholders including Government agencies, private institutions and banks to work in close coordination to make J&K a model of successful youth entrepreneurship.
The Chief Secretary also instructed the banks to ensure hassle-free loan disbursement.
Speaking on the occasion, MD & CEO of J&K Bank, Amitava Chatterjee, said that Mission Yuva presents a significant business opportunity for the banks to expand their loan portfolios while contributing to J&K’s socio-economic development. He highlighted the bank’s active role in shaping the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and reiterated its commitment towards empowering the youth and boosting entrepreneurship in the region.
Earlier, Administrative Secretary, Labour & Employment Department, Kr. Rajeev Ranjan, presented an overview of the progress under Mission Yuva, focusing on awareness, documentation and timely loan disbursement.
The event was attended by Shahzad Alam, Director Employment/Mission Director, Mission Yuva; Aushtosh, General Manager Corporate Banking (Agriculture & MSME); Rakesh Magotra, Deputy General Manager, J&K Bank besides officers from NABARD, JKEDI, SIDBI and members of SBDU and BHD.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary chaired the Empowered Committee meeting of the Centre for Innovation, Technology Adoption, and Governance (CITaG), emphasizing its pivotal role in driving efficient, responsive and technology-driven governance in Jammu and Kashmir.
Highlighting the need for robust human resource support, the Chief Secretary stressed the timely selection of professionals, specialists and screening of advertised posts for timely manpower enhancement. He also called for robust internship engagements to strengthen project planning, documentation, field cooperation and on-ground implementation across the departments.
The Chief Secretary directed for a comprehensive capacity-building campaign, underlining the importance of training 450 officers to enhance project execution capabilities. He noted that training sessions conducted so far have been instrumental in fostering innovation and identifying viable development projects.
“The focus areas must include Public-Private Partnership (PPP) implementation, project feasibility and appraisal, solid waste management and urban infrastructure,” he stated.
To strengthen CITaG’s operational framework, the Chief Secretary instructed the officials to activate all verticals and build institutional capacity, ensuring that the government officers are equipped to function efficiently within the system. He emphasised that CITaG serves as a crucial coordination platform between the government and premier national institutions like IIT, IIM and AIIMS. He underlined the need to develop future-ready governance models that leverage technological advancements.
Talat Parvez Rohella, Secretary, Planning, Development & Monitoring Department, presented an overview of the progress under CITaG, including notable achievements.
Professor B.S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu, also addressed the meeting, offering insights and recommendations to further advance the project implementation under CITaG.
The meeting was attended by Vice Chancellors of various universities; MD and CEO of J&K Bank, Principal Secretary Finance; Director IIM Jammu; Commissioner Secretary GAD; Secretary Planning; Secretary Law and senior officers from IIM Jammu, CITaG, and other Government departments.
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