Imphal: Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh today highlighted the role of self-help groups and skill development initiatives in strengthening rural livelihoods, empowering women and creating employment opportunities for the youth at the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) 2.0, organised by the Manipur State Rural Livelihoods Mission (MSRLM) at the Main Conference Hall, Manipur Secretariat, Mantripukhri, Imphal.
Recalling his tenure as Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, the Chief Minister appreciated the sincerity and dedication of the department’s officials and staff. He stated that whenever challenges were brought to his attention during his tenure, he had made every effort to look into the matters and address them.
Highlighting the impact of self-help groups, Khemchand Singh observed that livelihood initiatives and training had brought positive changes in the lives of rural women. He noted that some women who previously spent considerable amounts on consuming paan every day had reduced such expenditure following their participation in training activities, enabling them to save money and improve their financial well-being.
Emphasising the importance of skill development, the Chief Minister stated that the Government alone could not provide jobs to all the youth. He underlined the significance of programmes such as DDU-GKY in equipping young people with employable skills and connecting them with job opportunities.
Referring to the achievements under DDU-GKY 1.0 during the 2019–2025 Action Plan period, the Chief Minister noted that around 8,866 candidates had been trained and 5,946 placed in employment in Manipur. He expressed gratitude to the Union Government for its support, stating that the placement of nearly 70 percent of trained candidates was an encouraging achievement for the State. He expressed hope that DDU-GKY 2.0 would build on these achievements and provide greater employment opportunities for the youth in the coming years.
During the function, MSRLM signed Memoranda of Understanding with NABARD Consultancy Services (NABCONS) as the Project Appraisal Agency, service providers managing Migration Support Centres in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, and 20 newly empanelled Project Implementing Agencies for the implementation of 21 projects under DDU-GKY 2.0.
The programme also featured the sharing of success stories by candidates placed under DDU-GKY 1.0.
Nemcha Kipgen, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister-in-Charge of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, participated in the program via video conference.
Rajeev Singh Thakur, Chief Secretary; Sumant Singh, Commissioner of RD≺ officers and officials of MSRLM among others attended the program.
