Bhopal: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s schemes to provide employment for the educated youth of the state failed to take-off due to half-hearted approach. One of the flagship schemes of CM, The Mukhyamantri Yuva Engineer-Contractor Yojana, for example turned out to be complete failure and was winded up within three years of its inception.
The scheme was started with much fanfare in 2014 and more than 19,000 young engineers applied for the training in past three years. Training was provided by the PWD (Public Works Department) that acted as the nodal department for the scheme.
After screening of the applicants, around 1400 engineers were trained but only 113 engineers got registered as contractors. Of these only 20 engineers started working as contractor. Seeing the response the scheme has now been abruptly ended.
Engineer-in-chief of PWD, Akhilesh Agarwal admitted that scheme did not get response on the expected lines and did not benefit the targeted class. “Young engineers got adequate training but could not compete with experienced contractors as they did not get any added leverage in the field as a fresher,” said Agarwal.
Agarwal said that though PWD had suggested that fresh graduate engineers should get some leverage over experienced ones by relaxing some norms for them but finance department turned down the proposal.
Moreover, young engineers did not get any help from the banks under Mukhyamantri Yuva Swarozgar Yojana (MYSY) and they had to quit after facing tough times in while meeting capital costs of their work as a contractor. This also demonstrates how MYSY failed in its purpose.
The scheme was launched with an aim to train young engineers and convert them into skilled contractors. In accordance with the announcement made by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Yuva Panchayat on January 16, 2013, the scheme was approved by the Council of Ministers on August 14, 2013.
Engineers with a Bachelors Degree were paid a grant of Rs 5000/ month during the course of training. Following training, youngsters were to be registered under Centralized Registration System of the state government and get a loan up to Rs 25 lakhs under MYSY.
