The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday gave the go-ahead to a new scheme – Mera Kaam Mera Maan (MKMM) – to facilitate the unemployed youth of youth in honing their skills and enhancing their employability in their chosen field through free short-term skill training.

The Cabinet decided to roll out the scheme from the current fiscal on a pilot basis for construction workers and their wards.

A target of 30000 beneficiaries has been proposed, at a cost of Rs 90 Crore, to be covered under this pilot project.

According to a spokesperson of the CM Office, the scheme provides an employment assistance allowance of Rs 2500 per month for a period of 12 months from the start of the training course under the short-term skill training programmes in the Punjab Skill Development Mission training centers.

The said allowance will be given during the training period, and after successfully completing the training during the pre-placement and post-placement period of 12 months from the date of the start of programme.

Under the MKMM scheme, the eligible construction workers or ward of construction workers registered with the Construction Workers Welfare Board would be required to contact the district bureau of employment and enterprise of the concerned district to apply for the benefit.

The spokesperson said Amarinder Singh government’s flagship programme ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar te Karobar Mission’ has so far facilitated gainful employment to approximately 17.61 lakh youth since April 1, 2017, including 7.02 lakh in private sector, 9.97 lakh self-employment ventures besides 62,743 government jobs.

The Cabinet also decided to raise the minimum qualification for Gram Sewaks from matric to graduation.

Following the Cabinet’s nod, the “Punjab Department of Rural Development and Panchayats (Class-III) Service (First Amendment) Rules, 2021” will notify amendment to the rules, thus paving the way for fresh recruitment of 792 Gram Sewaks.

The spokesperson said the duties of the panchayat secretary and gram sewaks in the rural development and panchayats department are of similar nature but the minimum educational qualification indirect recruitment of panchayat secretary is graduation whereas, in case of gram sewaks, the educational qualification has so far been matriculation.