Apna Rozgar Scheme gets good response

LAHORE
The Punjab government has received overwhelming response to Chief Minister Apna Rozgar Scheme as over 150,000 have applicants applied for the pick-up vans after two weeks extension in the deadline.
The deadline was extended after poor response was due to some strict conditions regarding eligibility criteria as majority of the applicants were unable to apply under the scheme.
Initially, the Punjab government had fixed November 28, 2014 last date for the submission of applications under Apna Rozgar Scheme for providing pick-up vans to unemployed people in the province on five-year long mark-up free payment plan. Realising lacklustre response of people due to some conditions the criteria was later amended and last date extended to December 15, 2014.
For the applicants, age limit was fixed between 21 to 35 years in the matriculation qualification and valid driving licence issued on or before October 31, 2014. The criteria was later amended as majority of the interested applicants did not have valid driving licence, required academic certificate and age.
The government increased the age limit up to 40 years, no minimum education and driving licence issued till last date of submission of applications, i.e. December 15, 2014.
The steering committee of Chief Minister Apna Rozgar Scheme held a meeting after receiving applications from across the Punjab which was exceeded to 150,000. As per the plan, the government has decided to give 50,000 vehicles. However, more than 125,000 applications have been received for Suzuki Bolan against the approved 25,000 vehicles and over 25,000 applications for Suzuki Ravi against 25,000 vehicles.
Out of every five applicants, one will get Suzuki Bolan vehicle application while in Suzuki Ravi category, majority of the applicants will succeed in getting vehicles even without balloting due to limited number of applications. The members of the Steering Committee talking to The News confirmed that more than 150,000 applications received under the Chief Minister Apna Rozgar Scheme. It was decided that balloting of the applications should be started in the first week of January, 2015. The committees would set up at the district and divisional levels for the balloting of the applicants which would be completed by the first week of January 2015, they said.
Under the scheme, quota of the vehicles has been divided among the districts on population basis which is further bifurcated to 50-50 for each Suzuki Bolan and Suzuki Ravi. In the case of Suzuki Bolan, applications received from each district are more than the assigned quota while in Suzuki Ravi case, applications from districts of North and Central Punjab, are less than the quota. Thus, almost all the applicants of Suzuki Ravi from these districts will be successful even without balloting. The balloting will be held for Suzuki Bolan across Punjab.