BENGALURU: Ahead of assembly elections, the state government has issued an order to constitute 12,000 Vivekananda self-help groups (SHGs), two each at the gram panchayat level. With this, the government is reaching out to the youth population and it is expected to help the ruling party attract young voters, especially in rural areas.
As per data, in Karnataka, there were 15 lakh voters aged below 20 in 2018, and eight lakh in 2013. Now, the number of such voters has increased substantially. Also, this time, as per the data of chief electoral officer of Karnataka, around seven lakh first-time voters have been enrolled and registered.
The number of such voters was four lakh in 2018. Political parties are now targeting this segment of voters and make them their members. In Karnataka, there are 6,000 gram panchayats.
The Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports issued an order which says, earlier it had proposed to constitute one Vivekananda SHG in each panchayat. Now, the Department of Finance has given clearance to have two such groups in each panchayat. With this, there will be 12,000 such groups across the state.
Scheme aims to provide jobs to youth
Under this scheme, the department will provide Rs 10,000 cash and Rs 5 lakh loan, including Rs 1 lakh subsidy. According to Sports and Youth Services Minister K C Narayanagowda, five lakh youths will get jobs. “We are focussing on youth empowerment through this scheme. In the coming days, we are aiming at forming 28,000 self-help groups across the state,” he said.
Sources in the department said more than 60 per cent of Karnataka’s population is in rural areas. Youngsters constitute a major chunk of the population. They tend to move to urban areas in search of jobs. “This scheme aims to provide them jobs at their respective places, thus making them to stay in their villages. The government is aiming to target five lakh youths, which means, we are indirectly reaching out to five lakh families,” sources added.