CM launches NREG scheme in HP

Shimla, Mar 4 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today formally launched the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) at Bhalai village in Chamba district of the state by distributing job guarantee cards the people.

The scheme, which guarantees 100 days of minimum assured employment to 85,676 identified families in a year, will be implemented in 200 districts of the country, including Chamba and Sirmaur districts of the state.

Presiding over a function to mark the launching of the scheme, he said 35,000 posts were likely to be created and filled up in the next financial year 2006-07 in different government departments of the state.

Mr Singh claimed that 25,000 posts had already been created during the current financial year and recruitment process for the filling up of the posts was in progress.

The government was exploring employment avenues in the industrial, hydel and tourism sectors to provide employment to the educated unemployed of the state, he said.

He said the launching of the NREGS was a step towards reducing the unemployment rate in the country.

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