Rs 847 Cr Sanctioned, 14,887 Beneficiaries Covered Under Mission YUVA in Jammu Kashmir  | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Loans worth Rs 847 crore have been sanctioned to 14,887 applicants, with nearly 76 per cent already disbursed, under Mission YUVA across Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday.

The figures were reviewed at a meeting of the Apex Committee of Mission YUVA, chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, which assessed the district-wise and panchayat-level performance of the flagship self-employment initiative across the Union Territory.

Officials informed the meeting that responses have been received from around 95 per cent of over 4,300 panchayats, while the average loan size stands at 6.64 lakh. The programme has set a target of achieving Rs 1,500 crore in loan sanctions by the end of the current financial year.

The meeting was attended by the Additional Chief Secretary, Planning; Principal Secretary, Finance; Managing Director, JK Bank; Director, IIM Jammu; Commissioner Secretary, Education; Secretary, Rural Development Department; Secretary, IC Department; Managing Director, JKRLM; and representatives from IIT Jammu, universities, SKUAST, NABARD and other stakeholders. Deputy Commissioners from all districts participated through video conferencing.

Commending the Labour and Employment Department for its data-driven monitoring, the Chief Secretary said the panchayat-level performance indicators should be used for targeted interventions, particularly in weak-performing blocks.

He directed Deputy Commissioners to prioritise corrective measures and ensure that Single Business Development Units (SBDUs) and Block Handholding Desks (BHDs) are fully functional in every district by the end of the month, with adequate manpower, infrastructure and empanelled motivators.

Dulloo also stressed the need to strengthen the role of ‘Lakhpati Didis’ under the National Rural Livelihood Mission by upgrading their enterprises and empanelling them as motivators under Mission YUVA. He called for adoption of successful models from states such as Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Bihar, along with exposure visits and specialised training.

Emphasising sustained outreach, the Chief Secretary directed continuation of Udyam Jagriti campaigns in both online and offline modes, enhanced IEC activities in colleges and improved functioning of Incubation Centres and Innovation Hubs.

Reviewing the performance of banks, he asked them to achieve a target of 1,200 loan disbursements per week, while underlining the importance of post-sanction mentoring and handholding to ensure enterprise sustainability.

Managing Director, Mission YUVA, Shahzad Alam, said all established units are being monitored through a dedicated digital dashboard to track productivity and outcomes.

The committee was also briefed on block- and district-wise analytics, approval timelines and comparative performance of bank branches. Updates were shared on proposed MoUs with institutions such as T-Hub, IIT Madras, IIM Bangalore and IIM Jammu for strengthening Innovation Hubs and Incubation Centres.

Officials further disclosed that 102 local stores have been onboarded on the ONDC platform, with 1,393 SKUs added across districts. The establishment of an Overseas Recruitment Agency was also discussed.

Reiterating the bank’s commitment, the Managing Director of JK Bank said around 2,600 cases are scheduled for disbursement by January 26, while nearly 30,000 cases are targeted for completion by the end of the financial year.

Representatives from IIM Jammu, IIT Jammu, universities, SKUAST and NABARD reaffirmed their support to Mission YUVA through institutional infrastructure, technical expertise and training assistance for entrepreneurs and implementation staff.