By IANS,
Jammu: Announcing job-generation schemes, Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather Monday presented a zero-deficit budget for fiscal 2011-12 in the state assembly.
It was the 11th occasion when Rather has presented the state’s budget as finance minister.
Rather announced a number of schemes to help unemployed youth get jobs.
The budget provided Rs.310 crore for skill development mission which would enable youth start self-employment ventures. The finance minister also provided Rs.40 crore under the employment and welfare programmes for the youth.
The total budgetary receipts have been pegged at Rs.31,211 crore, an increase of 20 percent over the current year’s budgetary estimates of Rs.25,984 crore.
The budget also raised the daily wage rate from Rs.110 to Rs.125.
Rather also announced a special provision of Rs.8 crore for subsidising migrants’ health insurance. The scheme would benefit more than 200,000 Kashmiri migrants, currently living in Jammu.
A girl-child centric scheme called “Beti Anmol” was launched for “arresting dropout rate of girl students in schools and enhancing their employment prospects”.
Under another scheme aiming to promote girls’ education, the government would make a Rs.5,000 fixed deposit for girl students, belonging to the below poverty line families in all educationally backward blocks, when they enrol in Class 11.
The deposit can be used by the student on passing Class 12 examination.
The finance minister also made a provision of Rs.22 crore to support the empowerment of women.