Feb 11, Srinagar: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said addressing unemployment remains a top priority of the Jammu and Kashmir government, with a focus on creating sustainable livelihoods through entrepreneurship, skilling, and institutional reforms so that youth become job creators rather than job seekers.He was replying to a question raised by legislator Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi in the Legislative Assembly.Choudhary said more than 1.71 lakh youth have registered on the Mission YUVA platform, resulting in around 70,000 formal enterprise applications, reflecting growing confidence in the program.He said detailed project reports for nearly 52,875 candidates have been professionally prepared through Small Business Development Units to ensure technical and financial viability.As of now, 16,141 applications have been successfully processed, leading to bank sanctions of nearly ₹1,000 crore, with over ₹700 crore already disbursed, he added.These figures translate into thousands of enterprises being established on the ground, supported by structured capacity-building, he said, adding that 7,339 entrepreneurs have completed training and another 5,000 are undergoing training.Referring to an extensive survey conducted in January 2025, the deputy chief minister said 4.73 lakh individuals in the 18-60 age group out of 64.8 lakh surveyed reported “not working but willing to work.” This includes 1.79 lakh in the Jammu division and 2.94 lakh in the Kashmir division.He said of the remaining 37,000 applications pending with banks, about 15,000 cases are at an advanced stage and are expected to be sanctioned by March 31, 2026, while around 22,000 credit-worthy applications are likely to be sanctioned progressively over the next three to four months.Choudhary said Mission YUVA is not a subsidy-driven or indiscriminate loan distribution scheme but a transparent, credibility-based entrepreneurship program.He said the multi-stage scrutiny process ensures that while genuine aspirants are given opportunities, only financially viable and sustainable enterprises receive bank finance, safeguarding public resources and the future of young entrepreneurs.Legislator Mir Saifullah raised a supplementary question.
