Kashmir tries to catch up with fast-paced BPO sector, says Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, Feb 11 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that Kashmir is trying to catch up with an outsourcing boom that has earned India billions of dollars.

Omar Abdullah told a gathering here on Tuesday after laying the foundation stone of a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firm that the government sector alone could not eliminate unemployment.

"We want BPO industry to be established here, so that young girls and boys can get employment opportunities in their own state. We want youth here to get employed in relevant jobs. The burden of pressure of unemployment that we have on us cannot end by government jobs alone," Abdullah said.echnical firms elsewhere across India have cashed in on an outsourcing wave over the years.

India's software and services exports are expected to rise 16-17 per cent to about 47 billion dollars in the year to March 2009.

Abdullah said the people's enthusiastic participation in the elections last December showed that they wanted to usher in a new phase of development.

"There has been a change in Kashmir, which has been brought by the people of Kashmir themselves by participating in elections. By casting vote people have strengthened their voice. They have announced that they don't want to remain backward anymore. They now want to relieve themselves from the disaster of guns which they have witnessed for 20 years and want to gain their share in development," he said.

The 38-year-old Abdullah's National Conference party emerged as the single biggest party in state elections that ended in late December.

Despite a boycott call by separatists, the election had a turnout of more than 60 per cent. (ANI)