Employment policy of coalition would create more despair than hope: Mufti

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today dubbed the much touted employment and welfare policy of the coalition regime as cruel joke with the educated unemployed youth of the State. He observed that the policy announced by the State Government earlier this month was merely an eye-wash to befool the youth. Addressing a large group of youth from Poonch district who joined PDP in his presence, Mufti said that the youth of the State deserved better than the half baked employment and welfare policy of the Government. He said the policy fell short of requirement and expectations both on account of social security and employment. Pointing out the inadequacies in the new employment policy Mufti said it would create more despair than hope as the qualifying requirements left bulk of the 5 lakh youth practically out of its purview. Those who would escape restrictions of age and income could become easy grist to the corruption mill because of unnecessary formalities. Describing the employment policy as a rehash of existing and even some failed strategies Mufti said it would promote neither an entrepreneurial culture nor employability of youth. The so called overseas employment smacks of the traditional NC ploy of hollow promises especially in the times of global recession when the world is looking up to growing economies like that of our country as the next destination. “It would have been much easier and credible for the government to make construction giants like the NHPC who flourish on our resources to employ locals on their projects in the state” he said. Mufti Sayeed regretted that the government had failed to utilize the vast network of colleges, senior schools, ITIs and polytechnics established by the previous coalition to impart job oriented education. He said unless we focus to convert these institutions into excellent skill development centres they would fail to serve the real purpose but the government was unfortunately busy only in ribbon cutting without focussing on their functioning. “Instead of taking publicity our government recruited as many as 80,000 youth in government jobs with full transparency”, he said and reminded that during three year tenure of PDP genuine and deserving youth were provided employment. “Not even a single case of corruption, nepotism and favoritism came to our notice during these recruitments”, he further informed, adding “without creating hype his government had taken measures of great significance on the employment front but the present government had failed to build on the foundation available to it”. Recalling the MoU that the NC government had signed with government of India before 2002 which banned recruitment to state government, Mufti said not only was that scrapped many new initiatives were taken to create jobs outside government. He said the self help groups of engineers had been hailed as a pioneering effort. Similarly, the establishment of rural fruit markets and introduction of Kisan credit cards had revolutionized the horticulture industry raking in unprecedented returns to the grower. The recruitment process had been liberated from corruption and nepotism which established merit as the only criterion. Welcoming the youth into the party fold Mufti told them how he saw the PDP as a vehicle for socio economic transformation of the state rather than a mere power player. He said it was an acknowledgement of the credibility of party agenda that people from all walks of life were joining it even though it was presently in opposition, disproving the general impression that power was the only driving force for politics. Mufti said the coalition government had lost a great opportunity to use the human resource of the state for its development. Urging the youth of the state to hone their skills to create a new world of their own, Mufti said they should trust their own efforts more than anything from the present government. He said the youth must rise and assert in regaining control over the water and other resources of the state which was a prerequisite for our economic emancipation. PDP, he said would strive to carry forward its agenda on the issue to its logical conclusion. Prof Riyaz Atish of Mandi, Asad Khan of Mendhar, Murtaza Khawana of Surankote, and Ishtaq Ahmed of Surankote along with hundreds of youth today joined PDP in a function in which party general secretary Thakur Balbir Singh and former Minister Peer Mohammed Hussain were also present.