During a short discussion in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday on the economic situation of the country, the Opposition members questioned the performance of the Union government in the economic, industrial, agricultural and employment spheres. The BJP, in response, defended the Centre by claiming that the recent electoral victories the party had in three States were a stamp of approval for running the economy. The BJP members argued that the growth was visible on the ground and the election results were a vindication of the Centre’s efforts to improve economy.
Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, one of the main speakers of the Opposition, focussed on the issue of unemployment. “Of the worker population, that is 46% of the total population, male workers are 69% but female is only 22%. Of the worker population, less than 50% actually work,” he said, adding that what the Centre promotes is jobless growth. “It means that only 23% of the people work. This is more or less constant in the last nine and half years of the BJP government. Why, I ask, if we have such scintillating growth, why is this number not improving?” he said, quoting the periodic labour force survey data prepared by the government.
The unemployment rate for people in the age group 15-24 is 23.22%, he said and pointed out that one out of four graduates will be unemployed. “Why is this spirited growth, scintillating growth not turning into jobs?” he asked. “Apart from the quantity, the quality of employment is also poor,” he added.
