Jammu, 18-03-2025: The Jammu and Kashmir government has clarified that it has no plans to provide stipends to unemployed youth in the Union Territory. This was stated in the Legislative Assembly in response to a query from BJP MLA Devinder Kumar Manyal. The Minister Incharge of Labour and Employment Department confirmed that, at present, no scheme is in place to offer financial assistance to jobless individuals.
According to official records, a total of 3,70,811 unemployed youth are registered with the government. This includes 2,13,007 individuals in Kashmir and 1,57,804 in Jammu. Among them, 1,03,098 males and 54,706 females are from Jammu, while 1,37,404 males and 75,603 females are from Kashmir.
The Minister detailed the government’s approach to tackling unemployment, stating that all departments are required to refer vacancies to the Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the Services Selection Board (SSB) after fulfilling necessary formalities. Additionally, the Employment Department is conducting career counseling sessions to help youth explore various career opportunities.
The government has also launched skill development training courses across J&K, witnessing active participation from various sectors. Candidates enrolled in these courses receive a stipend of ₹1,000 per month during the training period.
Providing a district-wise breakdown, the Minister revealed that Jammu district has 21,131 registered unemployed youth, followed by Kathua (27,040), Rajouri (16,552), Udhampur (11,520), Poonch (16,213), Kishtwar (8,248), Doda (13,059), Ramban (14,510), Samba (17,102), and Reasi (12,429).
In Kashmir, the highest number of unemployed youth are registered in Srinagar (29,384), followed by Anantnag (30,012), Pulwama (28,274), Kulgam (21,416), Budgam (19,123), Baramulla (19,526), Shopian (18,524), Kupwara (19,144), Bandipora (11,068), and Ganderbal (16,536).
Meanwhile, the government also responded to a separate query in the Assembly regarding pending cases under SRO-43, a policy concerning compassionate appointments for dependents of deceased government employees. It was revealed that 928 cases remain unresolved, with 624 pending at the administrative department level and 304 cases referred to the General Administration Department for relaxation or post identification.
Among the departments, the School Education Department has the highest number of pending cases (345), followed by Jal Shakti (172), Home (120), and Forest, Ecology & Environment (86).
The Compassionate Appointment Rules, 1994 (SRO-43) were initially framed to provide government jobs to the dependents of deceased employees. However, in 2022, the scheme was replaced by the Jammu and Kashmir Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme, introduced by the Lieutenant Governor’s administration.