Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday said the central government has identified around five lakh people in Jammu and Kashmir who do not have permanent homes and efforts are being made to provide them housing under a government scheme.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, the minister said the Prime Minister has decided that those who are still without homes will be given permanent shelter. “A survey has been conducted to identify the beneficiaries, and once verification is completed, housing allotment will begin. Verification is important so that no ineligible names are included,” Chouhan said.
He added the work will be initiated to ensure every eligible individual in the region gets a permanent roof. The minister also said under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), efforts are underway to eliminate rural poverty, particularly among women. “Through self-help groups, the government is aiming to increase the annual income of women to over Rs 1 lakh under the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme”.
Chouhan said that the scheme is progressing in Jammu and Kashmir and many women have already achieved the Lakhpati status. He also mentioned a new category, “Millennial Didi,” for women whose annual income has reached Rs 10 lakh.
A booklet showcasing the stories of such women was released during the event.
Speaking on employment, Chouhan said rural job schemes like MGNREGA have faced some challenges, but steps are being taken to address those issues.
He said targets have been set for workers under MGNREGA this year and implementation is underway in the region. “The government is also focusing on skilled youth for employment and new educational initiatives will be introduced. Efforts are being made to connect more farmers to the Kisan Credit Card scheme”.
He said several problems were discussed during his visit and steps are being taken to improve the implementation of central schemes. “As per the direction of the Prime Minister, we are committed to ensuring the full development of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.