Other States - Orissa

State launches novel scheme

BHUBANESWAR: Failing to create enough employment opportunities for the unemployed youths, the Naveen Patnaik Government on Monday came out with a novel scheme to make one lakh of them happy by providing them engagement as Gaon Saathi (friends of the village).

They would help junior engineers in their areas, who were in-charge of implementation of developmental works, under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The programme was aimed at creating employment opportunities for the youths who were keen to involve themselves in the development of their villages, the government said in a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office.

Fifty per cent of the total one lakh youths, aged between 25 and 35 years, would be appointed as Gaon Saathi in 50,000 villages across the State.

That the government was trying to woo the unemployed youths appears clear. Each village will have two Gram Saathis, one male and one female, the government said.

The youths who would be absorbed as Gaon Saathi would be paid an allowance of Rs. 80 per day as prescribed for semi-skilled workers.

The payments would be made for the number of days they would devote for implementation of a particular developmental work in their village.

Those who would be engaged as Gram Saathi should have a minimum educational qualification of Class-VII. However, preference would be given to those having higher educational qualifications.

The selection for the job would be made on the basis of marks secured by the candidates in the examinations they had passed.

Those who attended the meeting that cleared the Gram Saathi programme included the Chief Secretary, the Development Commissioner and the Secretary of Panchayatiraj Department.

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