CM Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed employment and self-employment schemes, stressing youth skill development and timely benefits to beneficiaries.
DEHRADUN: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday reviewed various employment and self-employment schemes related to the agriculture, animal husbandry, tourism, and industrial sectors at the Secretariat. He directed officials to make focused efforts to connect more people with employment and self-employment through the government’s ambitious schemes.
The Chief Minister emphasized that under the “Jan-Jan Ki Sarkar, Jan-Jan Ke Dwar” campaign, comprehensive information about these schemes should be effectively disseminated among the public so that eligible beneficiaries can avail themselves of the benefits in a timely manner. He stressed that there should be no laxity in implementation and that full outcomes must be ensured from the allocated budgets.
Highlighting the importance of youth empowerment, the Chief Minister instructed officials to prioritize skill development and create maximum opportunities for self-employment. He called for strong inter-departmental coordination to accelerate employment generation and reiterated that all eligible beneficiaries must receive complete benefits of the schemes within stipulated timelines.
The Chief Minister also directed that the minutes of all high-level meetings must be mandatorily uploaded on the Unnati Portal. While reviewing the High-Density Apple Plantation Scheme, he stated that this ambitious initiative has the potential to significantly enhance farmers’ income and therefore its targets must be achieved within the prescribed timeframe. He further instructed that all pending dues related to farmers be cleared promptly.
To ensure better returns for farmers, the Chief Minister emphasized accelerating efforts to promote kiwi cultivation in the state. He noted that Uttarakhand has vast potential in honey production and directed that more effective measures be taken under the Honey Mission. He also instructed that organic certification of honey produced in the state be ensured. Additionally, teams of officers and experts will be sent to states that have achieved notable success in horticulture and beekeeping to study best practices.
During the meeting, it was informed that 29 products from Uttarakhand have received GI (Geographical Indication) tags so far, of which 18 are related to agriculture and allied sectors. In the current year, 25 additional products have been identified for GI tagging.
Under the State Millet Policy, implemented at a cost of ₹134 crore, crops such as mandua, jhangora, ramdana, kauni, and cheena have been included. In the first phase, 30,000 hectares across 24 development blocks have been covered, while in the second phase, 40,000 hectares across 44 development blocks have been selected. The first phase has covered more than 5,000 villages, benefiting nearly 1.5 lakh farmers. A total of 216 procurement centers have been established for millet crops, and a revolving fund of ₹20 crore has been created under the Cooperative Department. Against a target of 5,000 metric tonnes for the current financial year, procurement has already reached 5,386 metric tonnes.
It was further informed that under the Chief Minister Self-Employment Scheme and Chief Minister Self-Employment Scheme 2.0, against a target of 32,000 beneficiaries over the past four years, 33,620 beneficiaries have been supported with financial assistance amounting to ₹202.72 crore. A target has been set to benefit 9,000 people in the upcoming year.
Under the Tourism Department, 780 homestays have been established over the last four years through the Deendayal Upadhyaya Homestay Scheme, with financial assistance of ₹188.58 crore. Similarly, more than 1,000 individuals have been benefited under the Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Tourism Self-Employment Scheme, with funding exceeding ₹105 crore. Additionally, under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, 17,450 people have gained direct and indirect employment in the fisheries sector across the state.
The meeting was attended by Cabinet Ministers Satpal Maharaj and Ganesh Joshi, Principal Secretary Dr. R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretaries Nitesh Jha, Dilip Jawalkar, Vinay Shankar Pandey, S.N. Pandey, V. Shanmugam, Dhiraj Garbyal, along with senior officials from the concerned departments.
