india

Updated: Jul 09, 2019 19:23 IST

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath Tuesday said the state government is mulling a law to ensure 70 per cent jobs to local youths in the private sector.

Speaking in the state assembly, Nath said the proposed law will ensure that unemployed youth of the state gets adequate representation in the private sector.

While intervening in a question related to increasing the age relaxation for those from outside Madhya Pradesh in the government jobs, the CM the administration will not allow any injustice to youth of the state, who were disappointed in the past due to high unemployment.

“We will bring the law to ensure 70% reservation for domiciles of MP in private jobs. The law will make it mandatory for both private and government sectors to give more employment to domiciles of MP,” he said.

“We have already made the changes in the Industrial Promotional Policy. Now, industries will get the incentives and other advantage for investment in MP only when they provide 70% employment to residents of MP. We are now going to make a law in this regard.”

The Congress in its manifesto for 2018 assembly elections has promised reservation for locals in jobs. After taking oath as chief minister, Nath had announced the change in industry policies, which provided financial incentives to reserving 70% of jobs in private sector for locals.

The BJP dismissed Kamal Nath’s announcement as a gimmick.

Former MP chief minister and BJP national vice-president, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, said the Congress had also promised to provide an unemployment allowance to youth of MP but did nothing.

This formulation of law is just a political gimmick to evade the questions related to rising unemployment or cheating with youth in the name of Yuva Swabhiman Yojana, which was an utter failure,” he said.

But the proposed law may not go down well with industries looking for specific skilled employees.

Rahul Sharma, director of a private recruitment agency in Bhopal, said the law could turn out to be deterrent.

“I am in this field for more than a decade and I know there is a huge dearth of skilled workers in Madhya Pradesh. Even for a job of a call centre, we recruited candidates from others states. The government should come up with industrial oriented course and develop a talent pool before introducing this law. Otherwise, the law will be act as a deterrent for industries,” he said.