The Meghalaya Trinamool Congress today announced another flagship initiative to empower youth after claiming success in registration of women under its ‘WE Card’, or the Meghalaya Financial Inclusion for Women Empowerment Scheme (MFI WE).
The initiative, Meghalaya Youth Empowerment (MYE) Scheme, aims to bring “holistic development” and “empower various communities to build a prosperous Meghalaya.”
According to the TMC, the scheme is universal that guarantees financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month (Rs 12,000 per annum) to all unemployed youth of the state between the ages of 21-40 years and promises 3 lakh jobs in the next five years on mission mode.
The scheme was launched at an event held in Pinewood Hotel here attended by State President Charles Pyngrope, Trinamool Congress Legislature Party Leader Dr. Mukul Sangma, and Opposition Chief Whip of state Assembly George B Lyngdoh along with other senior TMC leaders.
The TMC through its video documentary on the MYE card focussed on the need for such a scheme stating that the where the ruling MDA government has “exacerbated unemployment and pushed the state away from the path of growth and prosperity.”
“Meghalaya Youth Empowerment Card will be true empowerment because it is going to remind us of how many jobs we need to create. Do you believe only 23,200 people are unemployed and registered as per the current government records? It is not. If we go by this figure, we will be misled. MYE Card will always remind us of how far we have come and what more needs to be done. This is the second promise that, as a party, we have made to the people of the state,” Dr. Sangma said after launching the campaign.
Pointing out that the scheme guarantees the creation of 3 lakh jobs Pyngrope said, “Someone may ask – isn’t that a tall order? But for us, it will be our endeavour and commitment to reach that goal because as a party we are gearing up and preparing ourselves to ensure that this is made possible.”
The TMC stated that the MDA government’s failure in creating job opportunities or generating employment had caused 37 per cent of the youth to be excluded from the active worker population of the state. The number varies across the rural (42 per cent) and urban (20 per cent) populace of the state. This has a direct impact on families as Meghalaya has the highest dependency ratio (65.9) in the country, it added.
Like the women’s scheme, the TMC will also hold conduct door-to-door visits and set up kiosks for walk-in registrations to introduce the scheme to the youth.
