NYK Youth Development Complex inaugurated

Vellore:Members of the Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYK), functioning under the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, should play an active role in monitoring the implementation of welfare and development schemes to ensure that the benefits reached the targeted sections, Durai Murugan, Public Works Department Minister, said here on Wednesday.

Inaugurating the NYK Youth Development Complex at Thiruvalam Road in Katpadi, Mr. Durai Murugan said that the youth should remain apolitical so that they were able to concentrate on constructive activities. Suresh Kodikunnil, vice-chairperson of NYK Sanghatan, said that the NYKS got a meagre allocation of funds for its activities. He urged the Planning Commission to allocate more funds to enable the kendras to take up more activities for rural developmen.More than two lakh youth clubs, with a membership of 50 lakh, were functioning under the NYKS all over India. At present, many NYK coordinators were looking after two or three districts, which they found to be difficult.

The Centre has approved a proposal of the NYKS to make fresh recruitments to fill the vacancies. With the Centre’s nod, the NYKS would recruit district youth coordinators and assistant coordinators, he said. More than 80 per cent of the NYK offices in the country were functioning in rented premises.This stood in the way of the smooth functioning of the kendras. He thanked Vellore Collector Dharmendra Pratap Yadav for having helped the NYK in the district for constructing a building of its own. This was the biggest building for an NYK district office in India, he said.

G. Viswanathan, Chancellor of VIT University, said that it was predicted that India would be one of the top three developed countries in the world between 2040 and 2050. The development of the country depended on the extent to which the youth in the relevant age group (16-20 years) were given the opportunity for higher education. At present, less than 10 per cent of this age group had got this opportunity. Mr. Yadav called upon the NYK members to play their role in environmental protection and rural development. They should revive the practice of “kudimaramathu” (maintenance of village). D. Deivasigamani, District Youth Coordinator, NYK, Vellore, said that the NYK Youth Development Complex had been built jointly by the NYK and the State Government.

M. Sadacharavel, Zonal Director, NYKS, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Zone, said that Rs.2.5 crore would be spent on youth development in the district. K.M. Khader Mohideen, Vellore MP, and C. Gnanasekharan, Vellore MLA, spoke. Mr. Suresh Kodikunnil, Mr. Viswanathan and Mr. Yadav donated Rs.10,000 each on behalf of the NYK to various youth clubs.