Our Correspondent

Rajouri, February 15

The Counter Insurgency Force’s (Romeo Force) pilot project on ‘Skill Development: Future of J&K’ culminated here today. The project was take up under the aegis of the Indian Army as a part of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna.A felicitation ceremony was organised at Government Degree College, which was chaired by Maj Gen Yogendra Dimri, GOC, Romeo Force.Meanwhile, the Army, under the aegis of Northern Command, trained more than 330 youths from Rajouri and Poonch districts in a year.“Under this project, several unemployed youths were trained in skill courses for four months at the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) at Rajouri, Poonch, Mendher and Surankote,” a senior Army officer said.The Army distributed certificates and kits among the successful trainees.Speaking on the occasion, the GOC said: “Now the civil administration and financial institutions must come forward to provide financial assistance to these certificate holders so that these courses become a guiding beacon to the state of J&K.”Prof Sandeep Singh of the University of Jammu appreciated the endeavour of the Army and requested the civil administration to implement the model in other districts. Candidates were given loan offer and cheques on the occasion by bank officials.