1000 cr package for J&K

Cabinet approves Rs 1000 cr package for J&K

The Centre today approved a Rs 1,000 crore special package for imparting training to 8,000 youth annually in Jammu and Kashmir with the help of the corporate sector.

As many 40,000 graduates, post-graduates and professional degree holders from all districts of the State will be covered in the next five years.

"The estimated expenditure on the special industry initiative (SII) scheme is Rs 2.5 lakh per trainee," an official statement said after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which cleared the proposal.

The cost of travel, boarding and lodging and stipends under the scheme will be borne by the Central Government.

To be funded entirely by the Centre, it will be implemented in partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and other institutions identified for the purpose.

The statement said the corporate sector would also be involved in the initiative, which will involve an expenditure of Rs 500 crore over the next five years, beginning from the current fiscal. The corporate sector would be incentivised to absorb the youth trained under the project.

"The training cost will be initially borne by the corporates. As an incentive to the corporate, 50 per cent of the training cost would be reimbursed if the trained youth are given employment in the company," the statement added.

Under the scheme, identified companies would screen and select students from the State and after assessing the skill gap and the need of the corporate, the youth would be suitably trained.

The SII is based on the recommendations of an expert group set up by the Prime Minister’s Office in August, 2010, under the chairmanship of C Rangarajan. Rangarajan is the chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC).

The scheme has been launched to enhance employment opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir and to formulate a jobs plan involving both the public and private sectors, especially for the youth.

Machail Yatra arrangements in Kishtwar

DDC reviews Machail Yatra arrangements in Kishtwar

District Development Commissioner Kishtwar M. H. Malik convened a meeting of the district and sectoral officers to review the arrangements for the forthcoming Machail Yatra 2011 to the Sapphire Valley Padder.

It was revealed in the meeting that the Machail Yatra 2011 shall commence from 1st of August 2011 while as the holy Chari Mubarak will reach Kishtwar on 18th of August and depart from Kishtwar to Padder on 19th of August 2011.The meeting discussed various issues which included security, medicare, accommodation of yatries, construction of temporary shelters enroute the holy shrine, drinking water facility besides other necessary services were also discussed for smooth and peaceful conduct of the annual yatra.

Dogri translation of Dido Jamwal

Dogri translation of 1934 Punjabi play ‘Dido Jamwal’ released

Lala Kirpa Sagar’s original Punajbi drama titled ‘Dido Jamwal’, written in 1934, appeared in its new avatar as ‘Mian Dido’, the Dogri translation by Yashpal Nirmal.

The play that paints the folk hero of Duggar in a new light was released in a function organised by Duggar Manch in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, at Abhinav Theatre, here today.

Mohan Singh, president, Duggar Manch, highlighted the historic importance of the work. He said that Kripa Sagar was a major figure of Punjabi literature in the late nineteenth century and the play ‘Dido Jamwal’ forms second part of the trilogy ‘Maharaja Ranjit Singh’ that was written by Punjabi poet before he died in 1939 at Lahore.

Speaking on the occasion, the young translator, Yashpal Nirmal said that while he was working as a resource person in Dogri at Northern Regional Language Centre, Patiala and Mohan Singh during a lecture had mentioned about the rare Punjabi play on Mian Dido by Kirpa Sagar and the need to trace it. He said that after lot of research, a very fragile copy of the play was found and the present translation is finally in your hands.

N D Jamwal, chief guest of the function, reiterated that Mian Dido sacrificed his life for the freedom of his mother land. He warned about mixing the fiction with facts. He said there is a need to tread cautiously while considering the historic merit of literary works and the contemporary interpretation and representation of such facts for public consumption and reference.

Padamshree Jatinder Udhampuri, guest of honour, said that there is need to evaluate the play so as to sift the facts from the fiction. Savita Bakshi, Additional Secretary, Cultural Academy, earlier read the welcome addressd. The programme was conducted by Dr Gyan Singh.

The prominent personalities present on the occasion included Prof Lalit Magotra, President Dogri Sanstha, Udhay Chand, Nirmal Vinod and number of poets and writers of different languages.