Mission YUVA gains momentum with 95% Panchayat coverage
*Timelines finalised for implementation of EoDB
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 19: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a meeting of the Apex Committee of Mission YUVA, during which he reviewed the district-wise and panchayat-level performance of the flagship self-employment initiative across the Union Territory.
The meeting besides Additional Chief Secretary, Planning; Principal Secretary, Finance; Managing Director, J&K Bank; and Director, IIM Jammu was attended by Commissioner Secretary, Education; Secretary, Rural Development Department; Secretary in I&C Department; Managing Director, JKRLM, along with representatives from IIT Jammu, Universities, SKUAST, NABARD, and other key stakeholders.
Commending the Labour & Employment Department for its meticulous monitoring and data-driven analysis of the Mission’s implementation, the Chief Secretary appreciated the innovative approach adopted to generate insightful performance indicators down to the Panchayat level across J&K. He emphasized that such analytical inputs must be effectively utilised for targeted interventions.
The Chief Secretary directed Deputy Commissioners to focus special attention on the weakest performing blocks, as identified in the department’s analysis, and ensure corrective measures on priority. He also instructed them to ensure that the Single Business Development Units (SBDUs) and Block Handholding Desks (BHDs) in each district are fully operational by the end of the month, with adequate infrastructure, manpower, and empanelment of motivators.
Highlighting the potential of ‘Lakhpati Didis’ under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), the Chief Secretary advised the department to enhance their capacities, upgrade their enterprises, and empanel them as motivators under Mission YUVA. He suggested adopting successful models from states such as Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Bihar, and called for exposure visits and specialised training at reputed institutions to further empower these Self-Help Groups.
Stressing sustained outreach, the Chief Secretary underscored the need to continue ‘UdyamJagriti’ campaigns in both online and offline modes. He called for intensified IEC activities in colleges and emphasized improving the efficiency of Incubation Centres and Innovation Hubs established under the Mission.
Reviewing the performance of banks, particularly with regard to loan sanctions and disbursements, the Chief Secretary asked them to achieve a target of 1,200 disbursements per week. He expressed satisfaction over the commitment shown by banks to accelerate disbursement momentum. He also stressed the importance of post-sanction mentoring and handholding, observing that capital infusion alone does not ensure success unless complemented by training and sustained support.
During the presentation, Secretary, Labour & Employment, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, informed the meeting that Mission YUVA has received responses from nearly 95 percent of over 4,300 panchayats across the UT. He revealed that loans amounting to Rs 847 crore have been sanctioned to 14,887 applicants, with around 76 percent disbursed so far. The average loan size stands at ¹ 6.64 lakh, with a target of reaching ¹ 1,500 crore by the end of the current financial year.
Managing Director, Mission YUVA, Shahzad Alam, highlighted that all established units are being tracked for productivity and outcomes through a dedicated digital dashboard, ensuring that each disbursement translates into a viable and sustainable enterprise.
Reiterating the bank’s commitment, Managing Director, J&K Bank informed that around 2,600 cases are scheduled for disbursement by January 26, while nearly 30,000 cases are targeted to be completed by the end of the financial year.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary chaired a high-level meeting of Administrative Secretaries to finalise timelines for implementation of the identified deregulation measures under the next phase of the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) programme across the Union Territory.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary impressed upon all concerned departments to prepare their detailed action plans by the end of the current month and ensure that the entire implementation process is strictly completed within the next six months.
He underscored that all procedural reforms, including amendments to relevant Acts, Rules, and Regulations, must be carried out within the stipulated timeframe without deviation, as envisaged under this phase of compliance reduction and deregulation.
Highlighting the importance of timely execution, the Chief Secretary observed that effective implementation of these reforms is crucial to creating a business-friendly regulatory environment and strengthening investor confidence in Jammu and Kashmir.
Providing an overview of the initiative, Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Vikramjit Singh, informed the meeting that the second phase of compliance reduction and deregulation, commonly referred to as Deregulation 2.0 or Phase-II of EoDB, is aligned with the national framework and is aimed at launching 30 new priority reform areas across seven key sectors in 2026.
Elaborating on the core components of Deregulation 2.0, Director, Industries & Commerce, Jammu, Arun Manhas, apprised the meeting that the initiative targets seven major focus sectors encompassing 30 priority reform areas, including several domains that were not extensively covered earlier.
He informed that these reforms include five priority areas each in Education and Utilities/Permissions, three categories of land-related compliances, and two focus areas each in Environment, Health, and Building & Construction.
In addition, high-impact reforms in Labour, Fire Services, and Tourism sectors have also been identified to ensure that these sectors receive a significant boost through minimal governmental compliances and reduced regulatory hurdles.
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