Kishtwar, Jan 16: Flagship Mission Youth initiative of Jammu and Kashmir Government has enabled many Kishtwar youth to earn their livelihood with dignity.
To facilitate the youth to secure a sustainable livelihood in the transport sector, the J&K Government has started a customized Livelihood Generation Scheme ‘MUMKIN’ under which the interested youth are provided financial assistance for purchase of small commercial vehicles.
The ‘Mumkin’ is a livelihood programme designed primarily for unemployed young people in the age bracket of 18 to 35. Under the ‘Mumkin’ scheme, small commercial vehicles are being provided to the youth with the banking partner extending the loan facility to the extent of 100 percent of the on-road price of the vehicle to be purchased, while "Mission Youth, J&K provides an amount of Rs 80,000 or 10 percent of the on-road price of the vehicle (whichever is lesser) as upfront subsidy and the vehicle manufacturers (scheme partner of government) provide an upfront special discount, not less than the amount of subsidy.
Under this scheme district Administration Kishtwar, headed by Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Ashok Sharma, has provided vehicles to scores of unemployed youth.
“AD DE&CC Kishtwar has received around 300 applications till date, and about 100 cases have been approved by DLIC under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar and 41 eligible youth have been handed over the light commercial motor vehicles”.
It has been fruitful on the ground level, as a number of unemployed youths of Kishtwar have been benefited, said the AD DE&CC Kishtwar.
Bhanu Badyal of Wassar Kishtwar considers him very lucky to have secured his livelihood out of this Scheme.
Sharing his ordeals Bhanu Badyal said that he was a final year student when the corona crisis shattered his hopes of a bright future by shifting his family’s burden on his shoulders.
He belongs to a family with no bread earner and aspired to shoulder this responsibility after his graduation. “But due to the corona pandemic my education was affected and I found my career on the downside with the economic crisis hitting my family badly” said Banu.
To his good luck, one day he got information about the MUMKIN scheme through the District Administration's social media facebook page and also through some local whatsapp group.
“Losing no time I rushed to the District Employment and Counseling Centre at DC Office Complex Kishtwar where I got full information about the scheme. The officials asked me to apply for registration that I did readily” narrated Banu.
Few weeks later, after the DLIC approved his case, he was called to take home Big Bolero Pick up for which he had applied under the Scheme.
“I did not pay even a single penny from my pocket, because under the scheme the vehicle was fully financed by the Bank, that too with 20% discount on road price” he said blissfully.
“The earnings have added to my dignity in the family and society, only the MUMKIN scheme has made it possible,” said Bhanu Badyal.
There are many other youth including women and girls of the age of 18-35 who have been benefited by Tejaswani and Mumkin schemes in the district under the patronage of Mission Youth.
After losing hope to get a government job, Nazir Ahmed Lone got information about the Mumkin schemes from his friend. In no time after he registered himself on the Mumkin portal and completed other formalities, he got his own small commercial vehicle and now he is earning his daily livelihood happily.
He says that Kishtwar district being a hub of the Hydro electric power Projects has a huge potential in the transport sector.