Pvt organisation comes to aid of border youth

Employment opportunities are indeed at a premium in this border district of Gurdaspur. No industrialist worth his salt is keen to set up shop in the area because of its proximity to the International Border (IB). Infiltration and cross-border firing are common. To put it in other words, the atmosphere is not at all conducive for businessmen to set up factories anywhere in this district. It is common knowledge that if there are no factories, there will never be any job opportunity. A private organisation — SPRN Entrepreneurs Private Limited — has set up a base in the city and is imparting skill development training to the youth. It is being run under the banner of ‘Rozgar Map’. The firm’s founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sanjeev Sarpal says in the last one year his organisation has already provided 279 jobs. Sarpal has a well-educated staff which imparts training in digital marketing, website development, cyber security, data entry and other IT-allied programmes. The firm is in touch with 45 national and multinational companies whose representatives regularly visit Gurdaspur to scout for talented youngsters. His target is to make sure that 350-odd youngsters get placements with reputed companies till December 31. He intends to triple the target next calendar year. Sarpal has definitely put Gurdaspur on the national job map. “Emphasis should not be on acquiring diplomas and degrees. On the contrary, the focus should be on skill development, a trait which can be used by youth to get a decent job. If you are skilled and capable and are willing to work hard, you can go places. We tell our trainees to pick up a skill or trade which they enjoy doing. I am also going to approach the Central government through our MP Sunny Deol and some Central ministers to ensure border area cities get special economic privileges so that the youth can set up small-scale units alongside the IB,” said Sarpal. He has definitely broken the glass ceiling in this district where IT jobs, at one time, were frowned upon due to the ignorance of residents. Parents wanted their wards to take up either one of the three professions — medical, engineering and legal. Information technology was virtually unheard of in cities and villages dotting the IB. So low was the ignorance level. “Not long ago, people who said they worked in the IT sector were assumed to be ‘geeks’ and ‘nerds’. In this digital age, that is so far away from the truth. Things have changed now. Today, children grow up dreaming of a future career in IT. It might be that they think of being a video game designer or working in Artificial Intelligence. The huge range of jobs in the IT industry means there is a niche for every type of person,” opined Sarpal. He says his ultimate aim is to ensure every third youth living in towns and villages located near the IB get a job in the IT sector. It is an insurmountable task, but in no way impossible.

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AAP leader gets warm welcome in hometown

AAP leader Raman Bahl, who is among the dying breed of leaders who are both well educated and well-heeled, got a warm welcome when he returned to his home town of Gurdaspur after being appointed Chairman of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC). His 1-km-long cavalcade was virtually forced by his followers to stop at nearly a dozen places. Bahl was a key Congress leader of Majha before he left the party and joined the AAP ranks before the 2022 elections. It is another matter that he lost the polls. He now finds himself fully rehabilitated.

(Contributed by Ravi Dhaliwal)