While releasing a booklet on the BJP’s initiatives with and for youth in Ahmedabad, Javadekar also took a dig on Rahul Gandhi: “If anybody who has become unemployed in Modi’s rule, it is people like the Congress vice-president.” (Express Photo) While releasing a booklet on the BJP’s initiatives with and for youth in Ahmedabad, Javadekar also took a dig on Rahul Gandhi: “If anybody who has become unemployed in Modi’s rule, it is people like the Congress vice-president.” (Express Photo)

Countering Opposition Congress’s allegation of lack of employment under the present dispensation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India, Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday claimed that around one core new provident fund (PF) accounts were opened in the country in 2016-17.

“Ek hi ankada batata hoon…Ek saal me ek crore PF ke naye accounts shuru huye…PF ka account to koi naukri lagega tabhi shuru hoga na?…ek crore naye accounts in 2016-17. (I will give just one figure…One crore new PF accounts were opened in one year. PF account can be opened only when a person gets a job…One crore new accounts in 2016-17),” said Javadekar who was in the state to participate in BJP’s Gujarat Gaurav Maha-sampark Abhiyaan on Sunday.

Addressing a press meet in Ahmedabad, he added that attempts to provide employment to honest youths are worth taking a look. “Through one Mudra Yojana, seven crore people got employment…We have started national career portal and introduced apprenticeship programme for youths…,” Javadekar said.

He further said it was important to take note of jobs in informal and service sectors as the economy of India had changed a great deal. “Service sector ka contribution 60 per cent hain GDP me aur rojgar ke khsetra me bhi…bahot bada yogdan hain…informal sector me bahot rojgar mil raha hain (Service sector’s contribution to GDP is 60 per cent and has a large contribution in employment generation. A lot of jobs are being generated in informal sector),” Javadekar said.

While releasing a booklet on the BJP’s initiatives with and for youth in Ahmedabad, Javadekar also took a dig on Rahul Gandhi: “If anybody who has become unemployed in Modi’s rule, it is people like the Congress vice-president.” Also referring to Rahul’s promise to cap GST rates at 18 per cent if voted to power, Javadekar said the Congress vice-president intends to increase the tax burden on the common people. “I want to ask what kind of uniform tax structure he (Rahul) wants? He is advocating 18 per cent GST on all items. It means all those commodities that fall in zero, 5 or 12 per cent slabs should be charged at 18 per cent. It seems the Congress wants to increase the tax burden on people,” Javadekar said.

Rahul, who has been spearheading the Congress campaign for the next month’s Assembly polls, had said on Saturday he would not rest till the five-slab “Gabbar Singh Tax” was converted into the “Goods and Services Tax” with an 18-per cent cap.

Javadekar further said that Gujarat government (under Modi’s leadership as chief minister) had got awards for best employment generator for eight to nine years from the previous UPA government.

“Manmohanji (Singh) jab pradhan mantri the, aath saal Gujarat ko sabse jyada rojgar paida karne ke liye puraskar diya…(When Manmohanji was the prime minister, Gujarat got award for maximum employment generation for eight years…). Awards for providing maximum employment to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women were also given to Gujarat for nine years,” Javadekar said. He also said that the first draft of Union government’s Education Policy is likely to be ready by December end.

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