Despite the poor rate of recovery, the Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana (PMRY), one of the most effective government schemes to provide employment to educated unemployed youths, the commercial banks are going to continue with the scheme.Of late, the PMRY scheme has been embroiled in controversy. Reacting to reports in a section of the press that the commercial banks have ceased advancing loans under PMRY owing to pathetic recovery, Chief Manager (Advances), SBI, refuted the allegation and stressed that the scheme is very much on.

The Yojana, which was launched eight years back to provide means of self-employment to unemployed youths, has also its share of complications. Due to poor recovery rate of approximately nine to ten per cent some banks are no more enthusiastic about advancing loans under the scheme.Denying having received any circular or notification from any bank M. Saikia Bhuyan, Joint Director (SP), DIC said, "The banks are extending their full co-operation to us and we are trying our level best to make the scheme a success."Ms. Bhuyan said that they have decided to intensify their efforts for recovery by launching joint recovery drives.

In the last financial year, around 66,000 youths had benefited from the scheme and the loan amount was roughly Rs. 520 crore."The scheme has potential to provide employment to educated youths, provided the schemes and the applicants are selected properly after thorough scrutiny," commented a senior bank official.On poor recovery rate, a Government official said that political climate plays a major role which should be improved by spreading awareness among the youths that the scheme is for their benefit only and by not repaying the loans they are harming none other than themselves."Efforts for recovery needs to be intensified further, it is the best scheme if implemented with social zeal," he added.

The PMRY schemes has achieved 70 per cent sanction target approximately but unfortunately the recovery rate is a meagre nine to ten per cent. The recovery is relatively better in the Barak Valley and some parts of Upper Assam compared to other parts of the State. Within constraints some banks such as State Bank of India, Canara Bank and Andhra Bank are doing relatively well.

The performance of the North Eastern Frontier Railways was discussed in New Delhi recently at an informal consultative meeting of the Members of Parliament belonging to areas under the jurisdiction of the Zonal Railways. Railway Minister Nitish Kumar presided over the meeting. Minister of State for Railways O. Rajagopal and Digvijay Singh together with Chairman, Railway Board, Ashok Kumar, General Manager of the North Eastern Railway V. K. Garg as well as other Board members and senior Railway officials attended the meeting. In his opening remarks, Nitish Kumar said that the North Eastern Railway is basically a passenger-oriented railway with 60 per cent of its earnings coming from passenger traffic.

It serves as a vital link for the North-Eastern region as also for Nepal. During the Mahakhumbh Mela at Allahabad this year, the NE Railway played a significant role by running 206 extra trains serving 8 lakh additional passengers resulting  in an earning of Rs. 2.3 crore, the minister added. The NF Railway has registered 10.8 per cent increase in the number of passengers during 2000-2001 as compared to 1999-2000. Its earnings from passenger traffic also showed an increase of 7.41 per cent while those from goods traffic recorded 17.5 per cent increase. The North Eastern Railway won the Rail Mantri Raj Bhasha Trophy  for its contribution for promoting  the official language.
 Participating in the deliberations, the Members of Parliament underlined the need for various gauge conversion projects, particularly those close to Indo-Nepal border as they felt that such step would help in providing better passenger services to the pilgrims, a large number of them coming from foreign countries.

More than 50 top managers from the leading corporates, banks and professionals gathered at the Vivekananda Kendra, Guwahati to listen to Dr. K. Muralidharan speak on "Stress Management and Self Development". The talk was organised by Federation of Industries and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) as a part of its series of programmes on management development. Dr. K. Muralidharan, who is an authority on Reiki, traditional meditation and Vipaasana taught the audience simple techniques of relaxation and exercises for minimisation of stress.

He also emphasised on regular practice of Pranayan, Om chanting, yoga and meditation to get the best of our abilities. According to Dr. K. Muralidharan, Reiki is a good self management course, which is simple to learn. It is among the easiest methods to battle the appendages of modern life namely, stress, strain and consequent physical ailments. Reiki leads to a qualitative increase in performance levels in all areas of functioning and promotes a sense of well being and harmony.

Undeterred by militants’ threat Meghalaya Home Minister T. H. Rangad celebrated Independence Day in this bandh-hit capital town of Shillong with his nine-year-old daughter without any security cover. Mr. Rangad, who is on the hit list of the ultras, came out without security on the street which wore a deserted look owing to the 36-hour bandh call given by the banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC). A 36-hour bandh, also called by the banned outfit, the HNLC, was also on in four Khasi dominated districts of the eastern part of the State.

Independence Day celebrations passed off peacefully in Mizoram even as the Mizo Students Union (MSU) declared the day as a "black day" protesting against introduction of sales tax in the State. The MSU put up "anti-India" posters around the Independence Day celebration venue in Aizawl to protest against the imposition of uniform floor rate on sales tax in Mizoram.

National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants shot dead three brothers, including a CPM activist, in West district on the eve of the country’s 55th Independence Day. The police said in Agartala armed militants raided the house of CPM activist Subhendra Debbarma at Mahendrapara under the Champahour police station, dragged him and his two younger brothers out of the house and shot them dead on the spot.