The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy has pegged the unemployment rate in J&K as the highest in the country. This is a cause of serious concern as unemployed youth in thousands are getting trapped into drug addiction out of sheer frustration and depression. The Central government must take steps in this regard and announce some employment packages, especially in Central government departments, to alleviate the sufferings of the youth of the union territory. The available statistical data about the unemployment rate in Jammu & Kashmir is quite contradictory to the government’s tall claims about providing thousands of jobs to the unemployed youth. Instead of creating more employment opportunities, the government in haste has started outsourcing government jobs and government properties like JKTDC and SKICC which has struck the last nail on the hopes of unemployed youth. The plight of contractual employees, daily wagers, Anganwadi and ASHA workers was also miserable and the government was acting as a mute spectator much to the annoyance of the common people. The government was duty-bound to come to the rescue of the unemployed youth and provide them with jobs for their livelihood. The failure on the part of the government to provide jobs to unemployed youth has made their future bleak, due to which they are becoming easy prey to the drug mafia and in some cases, take extreme steps like suicide. Hope the government does the needful at the earliest.
