Around 250 participants, including 160 beneficiaries and 90 employers, attended a special outreach programme organised under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) at Sri Guru Harkrishan International School in Amritsar on Friday.
The event was attended by Amritsar South MLA Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar as the chief guest. During the programme, employers handed over seven appointment letters to newly recruited beneficiaries. Representatives of industry associations, public representatives, senior state government officials and officers of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) were also present.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Nijjar described PM-VBRY as a visionary initiative aimed at generating employment opportunities for young people and promoting job creation in the organised sector. He said the scheme was helping youth achieve economic empowerment while extending social security benefits to workers entering formal employment.
Employer and employee beneficiaries also shared their experiences and highlighted the benefits of the scheme.
The Amritsar programme formed part of a nationwide outreach campaign linked to the main event held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. Proceedings of the national function were broadcast live at the venue.
At the national event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi disbursed incentives worth Rs 2,400 crore to more than 15 lakh beneficiaries across the country under PM-VBRY. Similar programmes were organised simultaneously at 200 locations nationwide, according to Regional Provident Fund Commissioner Lokendra Singh.
PM-VBRY is the Government of India’s flagship Employment-Linked Incentive scheme designed to promote formal employment, support first-time entrants to the organised workforce and encourage employers to create additional jobs. Under the scheme, eligible first-time employees receive one month’s wages, up to Rs 15,000, while employers are provided incentives for generating additional employment. The manufacturing sector is eligible for extended support to encourage sustained job creation.
