Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday said that a race can get stronger only through economic and cultural movements and ‘our youths must strive to take the State forward by following the footsteps of the great personalities who worked for the society’.
Chief minister Sonowal said this while distributing sanction letters to the beneficiaries of Kamrup Metro and Kamrup districts under Swami Vivekananda Assam Youth Empowerment Yojna (SVAYEM) at Pragjyoti ITA Centre in Guwahati.
A total of 1200 beneficiaries of both the districts will receive benefit under the scheme.
The State Government had announced the flagship programme of SVAYEM in the Budget to provide financial support to the youths of the State to take up income generating activities in the manufacturing, trading and service sector.
About one lakh youth of the State will be provided suitable credit support for taking up income generating enterprises.
Saying that youths of the State are being empowered through skill training so that they can achieve their true potential with the knowledge of latest technologies, Sonowal informed that the Skill City being set up at Mangaldai in technical collaboration with Singapore government would skill up 10,000 youths of the State every year in various trades.
“As Guwahati is being projected as the gateway to South East Asia under the Act East Policy, the young generation of the state must take it upon themselves to raise the prestige of the state at the world stage. They must take advantage of the initiatives of the state government like free admission into colleges, free text book, free uniform etc to acquire education and parents and teachers should also motivate the children to strive hard for shaping their lives through accumulation of knowledge,” the chief minister said.
Saying that the State Government has been able to remove corruption to a large extent from the system, Sonowal urged the youth to take advantage of the changing employment scenario of the State as the Central Government has made landmark investment to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore in the oil and gas sector of the State which would open up newer avenues of employment.
He also urged the young citizens not to constrict themselves but to expand their horizons so that they can face all situations in life without fear.
The chief minister suggested the beneficiaries of SVAYEM to properly maintain bank transactions so that they can get more loans in the future.
Speaking on the occasion, Industry and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said the State Government is working to strengthen the communication and transportation system to facilitate rapid growth of industries sector and he urged the young generation to engage in self-employment activities.
MLA Suman Haripriya, chief general manager of SBI Sushil Kumar Tendon, chairman of Assam Gramin Vikash Bank Sanjay Anand also spoke on the occasion.
Vice chairman of AIDC Jitu Talukdar, additional chief secretary of Industry Department Ravi Capoor, commissioner of Industry Department Puru Gupta were also present among others.