K-P to provide interest free loans to youth

Scheme to cost Rs5 billion; CM hails initiative

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has termed the young generation real asset of the country, adding that interest-free loans will be provided to them to help them start their own businesses.

He noted that our talented youth would have to come forward in order to steer the country out of prevailing crisis and they have the potential to do so.

The PTI government in the province, will provide ample opportunities to our talented youth in all fields including politics so as to enable them to showcase their talents, he said, and added that the skilled youth from across the province would be provided with interest free loans for initiating their own business in addition to providing them employment opportunities in the various potential sectors; the provincial government has allocated sufficient funds in the budget of new fiscal year for providing soft loans to about one lac youth of the province.

These views, he expressed while talking to a delegation of Insaf Students Federation (ISF) led by its provincial president Ashfaq Marwat, which called on him here at Chief Minister's House Peshawar on Thursday.

Touching upon his overall governance strategy, the Chief Minister said that incumbent provincial government is going to start the process of new legislation which is aimed at improving governance system as well as to curb the corruption, bribery and other malpractices in the provincial entities.

He said that corruption is a social scourge that kills the merit and talent as well, and we will never allow to do that. He asked the public especially education youth of the year to identify wrong doings and corruption practices in the departments and their respective areas; the government will take stern action against the responsible ones.

He maintained that work is also in progress on web portal at Chief Minister’s Secretariat, which will be utilized to tracking of public complaints and issues.

Condemning the prevailing rampant corruption in the country, the chief minister said that the same people have been imposed on the nation, due to their incompetence and corruption, the country is suffering from current economic crunches.

He said that those so called politicians have always preferred their personal interest instead of prioritizing national integrity and prosperity. He said that the construction has been violated time and again, thereby protecting a specific gang of corrupt politicians; whereas purpose of the article six of the constitution was to protect the constitution, under which no one has the right to violate or abrogate the constitution at any circumstances.

Gandapur said that Imran Khan is the only leader who can unite the whole Muslim Ummah, and has the ability to raise voice against the injustice and oppression. Incompetent rulers cannot say even a single word against brutal killing of innocent Muslims in Palestine, he added.

It may be recalled that loan scheme, interest-free loans of Rs1 million Rs10 million will be provided to youth belonging to the province in the form of clusters, which will be given under Bank of Khyber(BoK) and for this purpose, designated branches of the bank will be identified.

Last month the Advisor to Chief Minister Sports and Youth Affairs, Syed Fakhar Jihan chaired a meeting regarding this important project of the provincial government.

During the meeting, the Advisor was given a detailed briefing regarding this project and he was informed about the importance and usefulness of the project in this regard.

It should be noted that the total cost of the said scheme will be Rs5 billion and five per cent specific quota will be allocated for minorities, special persons and young people studying in madrasas under the scheme.

The advisor said that this scheme of the province will consist of interest-free loans through which they can develop their existing business or start a new business for themselves.