Skill development schemes need fresh impetus in Assam

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Assam is lagging behind many other states of the country in implementation of two flagship skill development schemes of the Central government - Deendayal Upadhyay Gramin Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Deendayal Antodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM).

Both the programmes are being implemented under the Union Ministry of Rural Development, while the implementing authority in Assam is the Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD) Department. The target group of these schemes is the poor youth of rural areas.

According to officials of the Assam State Livelihood Mission (ASLM), DDU-GKY is a placement linked skill development programme for wage employment. The scheme has a provision that 50 per cent of the youths to be trained are to be from poor SC and ST families living in rural areas. The officials said that a major impediment in implementing these schemes is the lack of adequate interest among the youth of rural areas.

The officials said that 11,993 rural youths were imparted training under DDU-GKY in 2019-2020. A total of 13,862 youths found placement during this period, including some trainees of previous fiscals. The officials said that in 2020-2021, a total of 2,102 youths were trained and 3,296 found placement, including trainees of previous fiscals. In 2021-2022, a total of 6,241 youths were imparted training but only 2,623 youths found placement. During the ongoing 2022-2023 fiscal (till August last), 3,836 youths have received training and 846 trainees have found placement so far, the officials added.

On the other hand, one programme among several under DAY-NRLM is the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP). In 2020-2021, a total of 548 enterprises were formed in Assam under SVEP. In 2021-2022, a total of 1,478 enterprises were formed, while during the 2022-2023 fiscal (till May last) 409 enterprises were formed in the state.

The state has comparatively fared better in implementation of another programme under NRLM - skill development through the Rural Self-Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs). His scheme enables trainees to avail of bank loans and start his/her own micro enterprise. In 2020-2021, 7,208 youths were trained under this scheme, while 5,145 youths were settled. In 2021-2022, a total of 10,017 youths were trained and 8,335 were settled. During the 2022-2023 fiscal (till June last), 3,454 youths were trained and 925 were settled, the officials said.

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