centre-to-provide-homes-for-5-lakh-homeless-in-j-k-chouhan

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday that the central government has identified approximately five lakh people in Jammu and Kashmir who do not have permanent shelter, adding that efforts are being made to provide them affordable housing under the government scheme.

 

During a media interaction in Srinagar, the minister stated that the Prime Minister has decided to provide a permanent roof over the heads of those in need.

He said, “A survey regarding the same has been conducted to identify the deserving beneficiaries, and once verification is done, housing allotment will begin.”

 

“Verification is the most important step in the process so that no ineligible person gets to snatch the right of deserving ones,” Chouhan added.

 

The minister said the work will be initiated to ensure every deserving person in the region gets a permanent house.

Besides, he added, the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) is making constant efforts to eliminate rural poverty, particularly among women.

 

“Through self-help groups, the government is aiming to increase the annual income of women to over Rs 1 lakh under the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme,” he added.

 

Chouhan praised the women entrepreneurs and those associated with self-help groups for making a name for themselves and for becoming beneficiaries of the Lakhpati Didi scheme.

 

He also mentioned a new category, “Millennial Didi”, for women whose annual income has reached Rs 10 lakh.

 

On the problem of the growing unemployment rate among the skilled and highly educated youth in the valley, which has been a major cause of many social issues in the Kashmiri society, including rising drug addiction, depression, and anxiety issues, which are prevalent among the youth.

 

He said the government is working on the implementation of several government schemes, which might prove beneficial to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, though he did not mention the specifics about how the government is trying to cope with this emerging issue.

 

“As per the direction of the Prime Minister, we are committed to ensuring the full development of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.