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Srinagar, Nov 10 (UNI) Expressing serious concern over the growing number of unemployed youths in the Jammu and Kashmir, the Communist Party of India (M) said the state was facing this biggest challenge due to lack of comprehensive and sound industrial and educational policy.

Addressing an election rally at Frisal in south Kashmir today the state secretary of the CPI (M) Mohammad Youfus Targami said lakhs of youths are jobless in the state.

Besides, he said lakhs of unskilled and semiskilled youth are also unemployed in the State.

He said there was no concrete policy in the State to address the uncertainties and agonies of the unemployed youth.

However, Mr Tarigami said massive investments in primary sectors like agriculture, horticulture and tourism could have created ample job avenues for our youth but these sectors have been ignored.'' Mr Tarigami said private public partnership which was conceived to be launched in the state has not been given a serious view. Had it been encouraged more jobs would have been created for the educated youth, he said.

He also said macro and micro entrepreneurship could have been instrumental in containing the growing unemployment but due to non-seriousness of the government towards industrial promotion it could not be made successful.

''Our party is not against any upgradation and expansion,'' the CPI (M) State Secretary said and questioned that it should have not been under internal arrangement.

He said upgradation and provision of staff and infrastructure should go all along to percolate the benefits of this scheme to the common people.

Mr Tarigami said regularization of adhoc and contractual candidates was time and again advocated by the CPI (M) so that these could not be held in a fix any more.

He reiterated the demand of regularization of all adhoc, contractual and daily rated workers working for years together in such capacities.

Expressing his anguish over the plight of released militants, Mr Tarigami said even though they want to live a peaceful life, but the State has failed to come to the rescue of this section of our youth.

He urged the government to formulate a rehabilitation programme for these youth and ensure that they live a dignified and respectable life.

UNI BAS YSS AKJ PM1755