Congress promises employment generation dept in Assam

GUWAHATI: The Congress today promised it will introduce a new employment generation department if voted to power in Assam.

This was announced by Congress leader Debabrata Saikia during the launch of the party’s five guarantee programme here today.

“According to experts we have consulted, there were actually scopes to create 25 lakh jobs in five years which the BJP did not do ... We will introduce an employment generation department to solve the unemployment problem. The department will also have a website for registration of the unemployed as well as advertise job openings,” said Saikia.

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“The minister of the particular department will be more powerful than the chief minister as far as recruitment is concerned,” said Kaliabor MP Gaurav Gogoi.

Saikia also mentioned about the North Eastern Industrial Policy according to which public sector undertakings would reserve 80 per cent posts of grade III and IV for locals of Assam.

Earlier, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Ripun Bora said the BJP misled the youth in 2016 by promising 2.5 lakh jobs. “But we are estimating only the reality of five lakhs ... BJP could only employ 80,000 youth, that also not everyone got a government job. There are 58,000 government posts vacant. Besides, 20 per cent of SC/ST post vacancies are backlog,” he said.

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He added that the 5 lakh jobs will be created over and above the already vacant posts.

“Assam needs 15,000 new doctors to cater to our population, 38,000 school teachers, 12,000 college teachers and 15,000 police personnel. We’ll recruit these. And, we’re not making false promises like the BJP. We are saying it with our conviction that we’ll recruit 1 lakh every year. For this, we will have to create 8300 new avenues,” elaborated Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi.

Gogoi said the BJP was a party that creates problems one after another to keep people engaged so that they could not remember the earlier ones. “But the grand alliance is on a problem solving mindset,” he said.

“How many Rabhas, Kacharis, Bodos and Sonowals got jobs from the 25 lakh promise by the BJP? We’ve launched our website ‘congrsss5guarantee.in’ through which we will give priority to locals in employment,” asked Gogoi.

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Taking a dig at the BJP doling out sops ahead of the elections, All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev said the youth and women of Assam do not need charity. “They need opportunities. No country can develop if 15 per cent of their population does not get equal opportunities. We are giving guarantees with accountability that 15 per cent reservation will be for women in jobs to be created through the employment generation department,” she said.

Speaking on the occasion, Barpeta MP Abdul Khaleque said, “The Congress, if voted to power, will institute a high level inquiry into journalist Parag Bhuyan’s alleged murder.”