Punjab to launch ‘Mera Kaam, Mera Maan’ scheme to help unemployed youth enhance skills

Chandigarh, August 26

The Punjab Cabinet on Thursday gave nod to a new scheme which will help the unemployed youth in the state to hone their skills and increase their chances of getting a job.

These youngsters will be given short-term skill training free of cost under the  ‘Mera Kaam Mera Maan (MKMM)’ scheme of the state government.

The cabinet, which met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, has decided to roll out the scheme from the current fiscal on a pilot basis for construction workers and their wards. 

A target of 30,000 beneficiaries has been proposed, at a cost of Rs 90 crore, to be covered under this pilot project, an official statement said.  

The scheme also provides an employment assistance allowance of Rs 2,500 per month for a period of 12 months from the start of the training course, which will be conducted at Punjab Skill Development Mission training centers, it said. 

The allowance shall be given during the training period, and after successfully completing the training, during the pre-placement and post-placement period of 12 months from the date of the start of programme, the statement said. 

In another decision, fulfilling the commitment made by the chief minister to the state’s sportspersons who brought laurels in the recent Tokyo Olympics, the cabinet has decided to amend rules to pave the way for a special employment dispensation for outstanding sportspersons, it said.    

Sportspersons displaying excellence in Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as World Cup tournaments, will be recruited in various departments under the sports quota, following amendment to Rule 3 of Punjab Recruitment of Sportsmen Rules, 1988, through insertion of Rule 3A, the statement said.    

The chief minister has been authorised by the cabinet to make any changes in the policy to accommodate sportspersons from more categories. The decision is also aimed at motivating youth to take up sports as a career, it said.

The cabinet also approved waiver of loans of up to Rs 50,000 each under the Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation and Punjab Backward Classes Land Development and Finance Corporation.    

It will benefit people belonging to scheduled castes, handicapped backward classes, economically weaker sections and minorities.    

The total amount to be waived stands at Rs 62.46 crore, applicable to loans disbursed up to March 31, 2021, the statement said.   

In another decision to check stubble burning during the paddy season, the cabinet decided to permit certain categories of industries to install paddy straw fired boilers to claim fiscal incentives.    

To enhance the efficiencies of the rural development and panchayats department, the cabinet decided to raise the minimum qualification for gram sewaks from matric to graduation.   

The duties of panchayat secretary and gram sewaks in the department are of similar nature but the minimum educational qualification in direct recruitment of Panchayat Secretary is graduation whereas in case of Gram Sewaks, the educational qualification has so far been matriculation. PTI