Employment biggest poll issue for youth: Kharge

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said employment is the biggest poll issue for the youth and his party will bring about an “employment revolution” if it comes to power. “In hundreds of rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, you would not have heard from him how many jobs his government provided in the last 10 years. 20 crore jobs were to be provided in 10 years, but snatched more than 12 crore,” Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X. The Congress will bring an employment revolution under “Yuva Nyay” so that the journey from recruitment examinations to getting a job can be made easier, he said. Kharge listed the Congress’ guarantees such as ‘Bharti Bharosa’ – 30 lakh government job posts to be filled. ‘Pehli Naukri Pakki’ – Through Right to Apprenticeship, first job to every degree/diploma holder is confirmed with an honorarium of Rs 1 lakh in a year. “Freedom from paper leaks – Congress will set up fast track courts to adjudicate cases of paper leaks for job exams and provide financial compensation to the victims,” he said.

Kharge also said social security for the gig economy will be provided. “We will enact a social security law to protect the rights of workers employed in the gig economy,” he said. “Yuva Roshni – Congress will restructure the Fund of Funds scheme for start-ups and allocate 50% of the available funds, Rs 5,000 crore, equally across all the districts of the country, as far as possible, so that youth under 40 years of age can start their own business and expand it and create employment opportunities,” Kharge said. Other than this, the Congress will stop the Agnipath military recruitment scheme imposed on patriotic youth, he said. “Due to widespread unemployment, Congress will waive student education loan dues including interest till March 15, 2024 and banks will be reimbursed by the government,” he said. The Congress will provide sports scholarship of Rs 10,000 per month to talented and emerging sportspersons below the age of 21 years, he said. The party will abolish application fees for government examinations and posts, he said.

The Congress will also provide one-time relief to those applicants (aspirants) who were unable to appear for the government examination from April 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 during the pandemic, he said. Kharge asserted that the party will implement everything it says.