The Hindu : Unemployment becomes a social problem: YSR

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 15, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Unemployment becomes a social problem: YSR

By Our Staff Reporter

SOMPETA (Srikakulam) JUNE 14. The CLP Leader, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has charged the TDP Government with total failure in tackling the growing unemployment problem in the State.

Addressing a press conference at Buragam in Srikakulam district on Saturday, the penultimate day of his Praja Prasthanam, he said the State had 32 lakhs of registered unemployed youth at an average of 1.5 lakhs per district. But the number of those getting jobs was mere 182. He said the registered number did not reflect the magnitude of unemployment since youth had stopped registering themselves because of its inefficacy.

Dr. Reddy said with the number of professional colleges increasing and availability of 70,000 seats, the middle class was preferring engineering course. A total of Rs. 2.5 to Rs. 3 lakhs was spent on fee, books, equipment and other expenses. But once they finish the course, employment was hard to come by. They were compelled to work for paltry salaries of Rs. 1,500 or Rs. 2,000. Thus the middle class dreams were shattered. The Government was neither providing employment nor helping in self-employment and was totally indifferent to the unemployment problem so much so it had become a social evil. On downsizing, that was every where, he said we were not asking to create jobs where they were not necessary but provision of employment and opportunities for self-employment. The Chief Minister was of the view that jobs should be created in the services sector that too in IT and tourism. Dr. Reddy said tourism would help if it was developed locally as AP does not attract many foreign tourists.

The CLP leader also linked employment caused by the industrial slowdown to the State Government's inability to attract foreign direct investment(FDI). Andhra Pradesh was able to attract Rs. 1,608 crores, which was mere 3.5 per cent of the Rs. 52,000-crore FDI in the country in the seven years preceding March 2003.

Going by population, it should have attracted 8.5 per cent. Comparing the performance of AP with that of the neighbouring States, Dr. Reddy said in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra industries had been coming up in a big way. The TDP Government should find out the reasons for the sluggishness. Though, industrial summits and CII conferences were held every two years no tangible result was seen, he added. To make matters worse, the TDP Government was selling away units in public and cooperative sectors and quoted the instances of Hindupur Sugar Mills, spinning mills at Rajahmundry and Nellore and the Chittoor Dairy.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Naidu to lead all-party team to Delhi

Govt. draws up agriculture action plan

Padayatra boosts Cong. morale

Monsoon misses its date again

CLP leader should thank CM, says CPI(M)

CM ridicules Azad claim

Naxals kill BJP leader

ICET: top ranks for Hyderabad candidates

RTC staff plan silent protest

Farm official released unharmed

Unemployment becomes a social problem: YSR