Mission YUVA gains momentum with 95 per cent Panchayat coverage

Jammu, Jan 19: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, Monday chaired a meeting of the Apex Committee of Mission YUVA, during which he reviewed the district-wise and panchayat-level performance of the flagship self-employment initiative across the Union Territory.
The meeting besides Additional Chief Secretary, Planning; Principal Secretary, Finance; Managing Director, J&K Bank; and Director, IIM Jammu was attended by Commissioner Secretary, Education; Secretary, Rural Development Department; Secretary in I&C Department; Managing Director, JKRLM, along with representatives from IIT Jammu, Universities, SKUAST, NABARD, and other key stakeholders.
Deputy Commissioners from all districts participated in the meeting through video conferencing.
Commending the Labour & Employment Department for its meticulous monitoring and data-driven analysis of the Mission’s implementation, the Chief Secretary appreciated the innovative approach adopted to generate insightful performance indicators down to the Panchayat level across J&K. He emphasized that such analytical inputs must be effectively utilised for targeted interventions.
The Chief Secretary directed Deputy Commissioners to focus special attention on the weakest performing blocks, as identified in the department’s analysis, and ensure corrective measures on priority. He also instructed them to ensure that the Single Business Development Units (SBDUs) and Block Handholding Desks (BHDs) in each district are fully operational by the end of the month, with adequate infrastructure, manpower, and empanelment of motivators.
Highlighting the potential of ‘Lakhpati Didis’ under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), the Chief Secretary advised the department to enhance their capacities, upgrade their enterprises, and empanel them as motivators under Mission YUVA. He suggested adopting successful models from states such as Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Bihar, and called for exposure visits and specialised training at reputed institutions to further empower these Self-Help Groups.
Stressing sustained outreach, the Chief Secretary underscored the need to continue ‘UdyamJagriti’ campaigns in both online and offline modes. He called for intensified IEC activities in colleges and emphasized improving the efficiency of Incubation Centres and Innovation Hubs established under the Mission.
Reviewing the performance of banks, particularly with regard to loan sanctions and disbursements, the Chief Secretary asked them to achieve a target of 1,200 disbursements per week. He expressed satisfaction over the commitment shown by banks to accelerate disbursement momentum. He also stressed the importance of post-sanction mentoring and handholding, observing that capital infusion alone does not ensure success unless complemented by training and sustained support.
During the presentation, Secretary, Labour & Employment, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, informed the meeting that Mission YUVA has received responses from nearly 95 percent of over 4,300 panchayats across the UT. He revealed that loans amounting to Rs 847 crore have been sanctioned to 14,887 applicants, with around 76 percent disbursed so far. The average loan size stands at Rs 6.64 lakh, with a target of reaching Rs 1,500 crore by the end of the current financial year.
Managing Director, Mission YUVA, Shahzad Alam, highlighted that all established units are being tracked for productivity and outcomes through a dedicated digital dashboard, ensuring that each disbursement translates into a viable and sustainable enterprise.
The meeting was also briefed on detailed performance analytics covering block- and district-wise loan applications, verification and approval timelines, and comparative performance of bank branches across districts. Updates were also shared on the establishment of Innovation Hubs and Incubation Centres, including the proposed signing of MoUs with premier institutions such as T-Hub, IIT Madras, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Jammu.
The committee further discussed the establishment of an Overseas Recruitment Agency and onboarding of local enterprises on the ONDC platform, disclosing that 102 stores have been onboarded and 1,393 SKUs added across districts so far.
Reiterating the bank’s commitment, Managing Director, J&K Bank informed that around 2,600 cases are scheduled for disbursement by January 26, while nearly 30,000 cases are targeted to be completed by the end of the financial year.
Other stakeholders, including representatives from IIM Jammu, IIT Jammu, Universities, SKUAST, and NABARD, shared their inputs and reaffirmed their commitment to support Mission YUVA by providing institutional infrastructure, technical expertise, and training support for entrepreneurs as well as the implementation staff.