Centre to pour jobs to Kashmiri youth cool them out
Jammu Tawi, September 22 (KIP) : To win over the support of the youth in Kashmir valley, the Government of India plans to increase job avenues in police and SPOs. Already 23,000 people have applied for police jobs and the Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikjar has announced that the centre would pay wages for additional 10,000 SPOs which were created soon.
These measures were being initiating after the state Government in general and Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, in particular conveyed to the central Government that the only way to arrest the turmoil was to provide gainful employment to the restive youth.
This step was taken to ensure that after securing gainful employment the youth will not fall prey to the campaign being launched by the separatists. Yes, there are more than one lakh unemployed youth in the valley and by raising ten additional companies of police and providing jobs to 10,000 youth as SPOs the problem will not be settled. More is to be done on the employment front.
Once more 75 per cent youth secure jobs separatists will not be able to secure support for their calls for shutdown and rallies.
To strengthen the Jammu and Kashmir Police, particularly in view of the unrest in the Kashmir valley, the Centre today approved the recruitment of an additional 10,000 Special Police Officers (SPOs) with immediate effect. There are 25,000 SPOs in the state already.
The Centre had information suggesting that thousands of Kashmiri youths had opted for the job, despite a call by Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani to boycott recruitment rallies.
The government issued a statement which read: “The additional SPOs will be utilized especially for security-related requirements. The reimbursement of expenditure to the state government by the Centre in respect of 10,000 SPOs will be as per the existing approved Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Guidelines.”
An SPO initially draws a salary of Rs 5,000 per month, Rs 5,300 on completion of one year and Rs 6,000 on completion of three years. The Centre is in the process of providing employment opportunities to 1.40 lakh youths in the state through various means, including skill development. Official sources said one lakh youths, mostly under-graduates, would be given job-oriented training under the Himayat scheme in the next five years (KIP)
