Chief Minister Kamal Nath has instructed the officers concerned to draft a proposal to give right to the unemployed rural youth to utilise the unused Government land for cultivation of horticultural crops.

He said that this would engage them in employment. Kamal Nath was reviewing the Department of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development at Mantralaya here today.

The Minister of Panchayat and Rural Development, Kamleshwar Patel attended the meeting.

The Chief Minister observed that the unemployed youth in rural areas can be provided employment on a large scale by giving them the right to use government land.

He said that the government will however have ownership right over land.

By giving them the right to use such unutilized land for a fixed period, unemployed youth can be encouraged to take cash crops to benefit themselves in lesser time.

The Chief Minister said that the self-help groups promoted under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission must have loans at lowest interest rate of 12 percent instead of present 24 percent.

He said that many self-help groups fall in debt trap due to the high interest rate rather than earning profits.

He instructed to assess the debt burden on self-help groups and submit a report on it.

The Chief Minister said that the rural houseless must be given land ownership title to help them build dwelling units in rural areas.

They should be provided financial assistance. Nath said that the campaign to distribute land title should be launched for which a time-bound programme should be chalked out.

He gave instructions to design the campaign and the land distribution

programme.

The Chief Minister observed that the children should get meals of their liking under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.

He said that nutrition value should be the priority.

The Chief Minister also asked the scattered habitations must be considered for getting the status as revenue village.

This will benefit the people living there as they will be covered under various State and Central welfare schemes.

The Chief Minister also instructed to make robust policy for the maintenance of the rural roads.

He said that a practical policy should be laid for Take Home Ration.

Nath said that training under skill development should be more focused on ensuring employment rather the number of trainees.

He said that regular assessment should also be made about how many youth got skill training and how many of them actually got a job.