Chandigarh Tribune: Chandigarh: Monday,
May 23, 2016.
Despite a hue
and cry over the rising unemployment in the state, the state government has not
only failed to provide employment to youths but has also failed to disburse the
unemployment allowance to those registered with unemployment centres.
As per
information obtained through the RTI Act by the AAP’s RTI wing of Bathinda, the
District Employment Office, Mansa, had provided employment to only 37 people
since 2002 and had disbursed unemployment allowance to only three people from
April 2015 to March 31, 2016, puting a question mark over the state
government’s employment promises. Under the Punjab Payment of Unemployment
Allowance to Educated Unemployed Persons Rules, 1978, Rs 150 is provided as
monthly allowance to a matric unemployed who is registered for over three years
and Rs 200 to a post-matric unemployed. For orthopaedically handicapped, this
amount has been fixed as Rs 225 and Rs 300, respectively.
For blind and
deaf and dumb, the amount of allowance is Rs 450 and Rs 600, respectively.
However, the SAD-BJP alliance had promised Rs 1,000 unemployment allowance to
educated the youth in its manifesto of 2012. AAP Bathinda Lok Sabha observer
Romi Bhati said, “The employment office of Mansa has failed to provide
employment to unemployed youths. There are about 7,000 unemployed youths
registered with the office. However, the department has provided jobs to only
37 youths from 2002 to 2016, whereas only three unemployed people have been
given the unemployment allowance. Earlier in 2012, the government had announced
to increase the allowance to Rs 1,000 per unemployed youth but now the
cash-strapped government has failed to keep its words.” He added, “All figures
have been obtained under the RTI Act. The condition of all other districts of
Punjab is almost the same where unemployment among youths is rising. The
government has not only failed to provide them employment but has also failed
to disburse the allowance to them.”
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