Chandigarh, Aug 2 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched a scheme on Monday for opening stores that will sell quality products of daily needs, and said it will encourage entrepreneurship among the youth.

Lunching the 'Har Hith' store scheme and inspecting an outlet in Panchkula, the chief minister said his government's target is to make Haryana free of unemployment by 2024.

"These stores will provide a platform to youth franchisees as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), government cooperative institutions, FPOs (farmer producer organisations) and self-help groups (SHGs) to increase their business," Khattar said.

He said opening of these stores would encourage entrepreneurship and further create an ecosystem that promotes the youth to be a part of “Atmanirbhar Bharat" (self-reliant India).

According to an official statement, he said that these stores would not only play a pivotal role in enhancing the manufacturing capabilities of MSMEs but would also prove to be a game-changer for market access to government cooperatives.

"With the opening of these stores, the state government's model of making youth a job giver instead of job seeker would also be accomplished,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister J P Dalal said that opening of 'Har Hith' stores would promote employment and market in rural areas of Haryana.

"We have a target of opening 5,000 such outlets,” Dalal said.

Khattar also launched the franchise policy for opening these stores.

Under the policy, people in the age group of 18-35 and women would be given preference. Under the policy, as many as 1,500 stores would be opened in rural areas and 500 in urban areas.

"Under the sale provision made in the 'Har Hith' store scheme, the franchisee partner who sells products worth Rs 1,50,000 will earn a marginal profit of 10 per cent, that is Rs 15,000,” Khattar said.

If any youth whose verified family annual income is less than Rs 1.80 lakh and is unable to earn an income of Rs 15,000 in the first six months, the state government will provide financial aid for at least six months, he said.

"If the youth is able to earn Rs 12,000 then the government would give him a compensation amount of Rs 3,000 as financial aid. If the income is above Rs 13,000, then the government would provide compensation of Rs 2,000 and so on. The state government will ensure that his minimum income comes to Rs 15,000,” the chief minister said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)