The reducing intensity of covid-19 pandemic has one way or the other increased the pace of economic activities and as such the focus is now slowly shifting to employment generation to reduce job stress on youth in Jammu & Kashmir. A good tourist season witnessed in the beginning of summer season this year is generating hopes of an unprecedented rise in both employment and income generation across Jammu & Kashmir. Though change in situation demands a change in strategies but a strategy to increase the frequency of economic activities for generating more and more employment opportunities for youth has not been unfolded yet by the Government. While onus for strict adherence to covid Standard Operating Procedures(SOPs) at public places lies more on people and less on the Government , the scope for increasing the frequency of economic activities cannot be explored without government intervention. While Lt Governor himself holds weekly review meetings on progress of development works and revival of economic activities to create new space of employment for the youth of Jammu & Kashmir rendered jobless by stress on both private business operations and as well as execution of development works in both Kashmir valley and as well as Jammu division like several other parts of the country, the onus for implementing the decisions on the revival of economic activities lies on the implementing agencies in districts and blocks where district development councils (DDCs) and Block Development Councils (BDCs) are fully authorised to oversee the execution of development projects and economic activities . Since people prefer to work in the areas where their families are settled even now when intensity of pandemic is reducing fast, the engagement of youth in the developmental works undertaken in their parent districts could also reduce the intensity of joblessness as such a decision won’t not only fast pace the execution of development works but would also throw up new opportunities of livelihoods for the youth of Jammu & Kashmir.
Keeping in view the fact that opening up spaces in the new economic activities of the government for youth could also throw up new opportunities of livelihoods at the grass roots, the weekly review meetings on transparency in the engagement of youth in developmental works at grass roots could reduce the scope of public complaints and consequently increase the scope for more livelihood opportunities for local youth in Jammu & Kashmir.
Unfortunately complaints about discrimination in engagement of local youth in the development works executed through community blocks on the recommendations of panchayat representatives are not noted seriously and probed well through institutional procedures. Though no one would believe that such complaints are factually correct without a proper investigation by the concerned department but it is also an irrefutable fact that authorities leaving complaints uninvestigated deserve an explanation for rejecting the complaints without looking into them seriously. Keeping in view the fact that opening up spaces in the new economic activities of the government for youth could also throw up new opportunities of livelihoods at the grass roots, the weekly review meetings on transparency in the engagement of youth in developmental works at grass roots could reduce the scope of public complaints and consequently increase the scope for more livelihood opportunities for local youth in Jammu & Kashmir.
