• 1,522 employees and 304 employers’ benefit as Centre boosts formal employment, social security in UT
• LG Sinha Says “PM Rozgar Yojana Expanding Jobs, Social Security in J&K”
Srinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday disbursed incentives worth around Rs 2,400 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY), benefiting more than 15 lakh beneficiaries across the country, with Jammu and Kashmir receiving over Rs 26 crore under the employment-linked incentive scheme.
In Jammu and Kashmir, 1,522 employees received direct incentives amounting to Rs 74 lakh, while Rs 25.42 crore was transferred directly into the bank accounts of 304 employers, aimed at boosting formal employment and strengthening social security coverage in the Union Territory.
Addressing the national event held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described PM-VBRY as a transformative initiative designed to empower first-time employees and strengthen the bridge between youth and industry.
“Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana is much more than an employment scheme. It is an initiative to support the aspirations of young people entering their first jobs while creating a strong connection between industry and the workforce,” the Prime Minister said.
Regional programmes were simultaneously organised at 200 locations across the country, including multiple venues in Jammu and Kashmir such as Lok Bhavan Srinagar, Convention Centre Jammu, NIFT College Ompora Budgam and Bari Brahmana Industrial Association, Samba.
Speaking virtually at the UT-level event, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha termed the occasion a milestone in Jammu and Kashmir’s employment transformation and credited the Prime Minister’s leadership for expanding job opportunities and social security.
“This historic occasion is a celebration of Jammu and Kashmir’s transformative journey. It reflects the dreams, aspirations and opportunities that are giving a new direction to the lives of our youth,” Sinha said.
The Lieutenant Governor said that prior to August 2019, workers in Jammu and Kashmir lacked comprehensive social security protections. However, after the implementation of the Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 in November 2019, lakhs of workers were brought under the national social security framework for the first time.
He said PM-VBRY represents the government’s broader vision of building a developed India where formal employment becomes the norm and every young citizen gets access to dignified work and financial security.
According to official figures, Jammu and Kashmir has shown strong participation in the scheme, with over 3,300 establishments registered so far. More than 22,500 youth have entered the formal employment system under the initiative, while over 31,000 job opportunities have qualified for incentives.
Sinha said the scheme operates on two pillars—providing financial support to first-time employees and incentivising employers who generate additional jobs. He noted that more than 3.5 crore employment opportunities are expected to be incentivised across the country over the next two years.
The Lieutenant Governor also praised the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) for reforms aimed at improving ease of doing business and ease of living, while urging more enterprises in Jammu and Kashmir to register under the scheme.
At Convention Centre Jammu, the programme witnessed participation from Members of Parliament, senior government officials, industry representatives, employers and beneficiaries. Employment letters were also distributed to newly recruited workers during the event.
PM-VBRY, a flagship employment-linked incentive scheme of the Government of India, provides eligible first-time employees one month’s wage up to Rs 15,000, while employers receive incentives for creating additional jobs. The manufacturing sector is eligible for extended support to encourage sustained employment generation in labour-intensive industries.
