The Directorate of Training and Skill Development Uttarakhand has disbursed unemployment allowance to 22,659 youths of the State. The allowance which is called Employment-cum-skill development allowance is given by the State Government to the unemployed youths aged between 25 to 42 years.
The State Government had started the scheme to give the allowance to the unemployed youths, who are registered in the employment offices for more than one year and with an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh in December 2012. Initially, the youths between 25 to 40 years were only entitled to the scheme, but later the State Government increased the age limit to 42. These youths are also needed to submit an affidavit mentioning that they will inform the department if they get a job during the period of allowance.
The employment offices all over the State witnessed a surge of registration seekers after this scheme. The Deputy Director of training and Skill development Haldwani, Subhash Kumar told The Pioneer that 7,45,401 youths are registered in the employment offices across the State and the department had selected 22,659 youths who fit into the norms of giving the allowance. The intermediate pass unemployed youths are entitled an allowance of Rs 750, the graduates Rs 1,000 and the Post graduates are entitled an allowance of Rs 1,500 per month under the scheme.
Kumar informed that the department has disbursed Rs 8.52 crores till December last year and process of disbursing allowance in this quarter is also in progress. He said that the State Government has increased the budget for allowance to Rs 18 crore for Financial Year 2014-15 from Rs 12.50 crore in 2013-14. He informed that Uttarkashi has largest number of youths (3,456) in the State who are getting benefits under the scheme, while 1,369 scheduled tribe youths are also getting the allowance.
Though the scheme was started for a period of two years but the youths are thronging the employment offices of the state in the hope that the government would extend the scheme. Manish Kukreti of Dehradun, who was standing in a long queue at Dehradun Office said that he knows that one should have one year old registration for the allowance and the scheme is closing this year but still he is registering his name in case it is extended.