Maharashtra has one more go at harnessing jobless

MUMBAI, MAY 20: Following the failure of its much hyped plan for providing jobs to 27 lakh youths, the State Government has started showe...

MUMBAI, MAY 20: Following the failure of its much hyped plan for providing jobs to 27 lakh youths, the State Government has started showering money on rural unemployed youths.

Under its Golden Village Self Employment Scheme, the Rural Development department of the State Government will disburse a whopping Rs 120 crore to 2 lakh youths in villages. Rural Development minister Prabhakar More, who was recently elevated to the cabinet rank, announced the details of the scheme this afternoon in a press conference in Mantralaya.

8220;The scheme is being launched with the help of the Union Government. Half of the money, Rs 60 crore will come from the Centre and the remaining Rs 60 crore will be given by the State. We have a target of 2 lakh families in Maharashtra and a youth in each of the family will be given financial assistance. The youths are expected to start a small enterprise of their own with the money. Thus we are promoting self employment amongst them. While the youths from backward classes will be givenRs 6,000, others will get Rs 5,000,8221; More said.

The scheme is already in operation now and the first phase will be over in June 8217;99, he said, adding that the second phase would be completed a month later.

The State Government will also start a hi-tech seed processing centre at Jalna in June. Minister of State for Agriculture Harshavardhan Patil today announced in a press conference that Chief Minister Narayan Rane would innaugurate the centre on June 1, 1999 at Jalna. Patil said that farmers will be able to get good quality seed at the centre at a concessional rate.

Patil said meetings have also been planned at the level of revenue divisions in the State to review the condition of kharif crops after the untimely showers. He added that the CM, his deputy Gopinath Munde, Agriculture minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, divisional commissioners, district collectors and other high ranking government officials will attend the meetings.