Srinagar, June 21 -- Jammu and Kashmir has secured a substantial share of formal employment incentives with Rs.25.42 crore transferred directly into the bank accounts of 304 employers across the Union Territory. Concurrently, 1,522 local employees received a total of Rs.74 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY), marking a shift toward expanding formal job placement and social security coverage in the region. The regional events were broadcast live across multiple venues in J&K on Friday, including Lok Bhavan in Srinagar, the Convention Centre in Jammu, NIFT College at the SIDCO Industrial Complex in Ompora Budgam, and the Bari Brahmana Industrial Association in Samba. Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha said that J&K capitalised well on the central scheme. Currently, more than 3,300 local establishments are registered under PM-VBRY, introducing over 22,500 youth into the formal employment network for the first time. Over 31,000 regional job openings have qualified for incentives, driving a positive economic transformation for more than 53,000 citizens. "After the implementation of the Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, in the Union Territory in November 2019, lakhs of regional workers were integrated into the national social security fold for the first time," Sinha said, adding the scheme embodies the resolve to make formal employment the baseline standard for the region's youth....