JK spending Rs 4350 cr on employees' salaries

Srinagar, Sep 23: Jammu and Kashmir government is spends Rs 4350 crores on the salaries of its 3.80 lakh employees annually, which hardly leaves any funds for devlopment activities Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

''Under this scenario, there is hardly any room for further absorption of unemployed youths in government sector, and stressed on technical and market-oriented education in the state, he said.

Adding that considering this, the government has shifted its attention from traditional and curriculum education to technical and market oriented education.

New subjects promising better job avenues have been introduced at degree and postgraduate level and Industrial Training Institutes and Polytechnics expanded.

He said to enhance the employability of the State youth in the job market, add-on and employment-oriented courses have been introduced at the graduation level.

Subjects of computer application, information technology, bio- technology, environmental science and management studies have been added in colleges recently, thus broadening scope of the pass outs in the job market.

Women were in special focus so far as technical education in Jammu and Kashmir was concerned,he said and added that under the Prime Minister's Reconstruction Programme, the government has set up 10 Women ITIs in the State, bringing the total number of ITIs to 48.

The State has two Government polytechnics exclusively for women, one each in the capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu. Besides, he said, there are 15 co-ed polytechnics throughout the State including 11 in the private sector.

He has also spelt out the need to set up additional university campuses at Leh in the Ladakh and Kupwara, a border district of Kashmir.

As an important step to provide students, especially girl students, access to education through satellite, two EDUSAT HUBS have been set up at Government College for Women, Moulana Azad Road, Srinagar and Government College for Women, Gandhinagar, Jammu in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation.

In addition, 102 Satellite Interactive Terminals were being set up in colleges, higher secondary schools and Industrial Training Institutes, he said.

UNI