AP plans to rope in HLL, Nestle

Companies likely to provide free coffee vending machines to boost self-employment scheme

In an effort to provide self-employment opportunities to the youth, the Andhra Pradesh State Youth Services Department is planning to rope in Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL) and Nestle India for providing coffee vending machines.

According to T Hareesh Rao, minister for youth services, both the companies have promised to provide 10,000 'Bru' and 'Nescafe' coffee vending machines free of cost for this purpose.

"While the companies will provide their coffee-vending machines free of cost, the department is planning to collect Rs 10,000 from each applicant in order to ensure security and personal involvement," the minister told Business Standard.

Nestle's vending machine operations in the state are at present limited to the twin cities. Normally, these companies offer their vending machines by collecting suitable deposits based on the cost of the machine.

According to Vinod Menon, in-charge of Nestle's vending operations in Hyderabad, the cost of a vending machine ranges from Rs 8,000 to Rs 30,000 depending on the model.

The minister said that the scheme was part of his government's efforts to expand the self-employment opportunities in the state. He said that the government would also welcome other tea, coffee companies with similar proposals.

Meanwhile, the government is considering to make the norms of its self-employment schemes for youth more flexible by relaxing the group norms. It is also planning to enhance the subsidy component of any individual schemes. According to the minister, the government would implement self-employment schemes to the tune of Rs 200 crore this year.

The state cabinet, which met here today, approved of the recommendations of the cabinet sub-committee on youth policy.

Chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy will release the draft youth policy tomorrow, which would be finalised, after a public debate, in November 2004. The government is renaming the erstwhile 'Chief Minister's Empowerment of Youth (CMEY)' programme as Rajiv Yuva Sakti Pathakam.