The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : PMK paper focusses on unemployment

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Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

PMK paper focusses on unemployment

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Around 48 lakh people have enrolled in the employment exchanges in the State, seeking jobs. Of them, about 13 lakhs are waiting for over five years, according to the Pattali Makkal Katchi’s alternative budget (2008-2009).

Highlighting the problem of unemployment in the State, the recently-released budget document states that on an average, 12,000 to 14,000 are able to get jobs annually through the employment exchanges. Of those who are on the live registers, about 20 lakh belong to the Backward Classes, 11.98 lakh Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and 10.54 lakh Most Backward Classes.

Mentioning that removal of unemployment is the primary responsibility of the government, the PMK argues that the problem cannot be eliminated by giving a relief amount of Rs. 300 a month.

Describing the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme as a boon, the party document states that if the State government implements it with proper supervision, not only a minimum of 100 days of guaranteed employment will be provided to each household but also productive community assets can be created.

The alternative budget suggests the revision of wages from Rs. 80 a day to Rs. 100.

Formation of self-help groups under the wasteland development programme to create cooperative farms would lead to generation of jobs for two lakh persons every year, the budget says. Twenty sectors, having the potential for large-scale job creation, have been identified. Artificial diamond polishing, producing seashell-based artefacts, products of Palmyra leaves, carpets, interior decoration, coir industry, confectionary, rubber and plastics are among them.

Self-employment

To promote self-employment, the PMK suggests the establishment of the Council for Development of Self Employed Entrepreneurs and the Bank for Self Employed. While welcoming the government’s decision to lift ban on recruitment, the party calls for a special drive to fill vacancies in the posts reserved for BC/MBC/SCs.

In the chapter on poverty eradication, the alternative budget highlights the importance of job creation and says that this will be the major measure to tackle poverty.

As for the determination of people living below the poverty line, the document says that going by the 2004 statistics, 1.4 crore people fall under this category.

While noting that there is a perception that the parameters for the determination in 2004 were not appropriate, the party wants more socio-economic parameters to be taken into account and says that the Union government has accepted such a methodology. If this were adopted in the State, the number of people under the category is likely to be more than 1.4 crore. The budget calls for effective implementation of land reforms in the State and distribution of surplus lands to those under the BPL.

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