Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday said unemployed youth would be given a monthly allowance in the State from the next financial year.
With Assembly polls scheduled later this year, the move is seen as an attempt to blunt the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party’s constant attacks on the Congress government for not fulfilling its 2018 pre-poll promise of providing an unemployment allowance or stipend.
Mr. Baghel made the announcement during his speech at the Republic Day celebrations at Jagdalpur. The Chief Minister also posted a tweet saying, “I announce unemployment allowance to the unemployed of the state every month from the next financial year”, but did not share the roll-out details nor the eligibility criteria or amount. Replying to the aforementioned tweet, many urged the Chief Minister to fulfil the regularisation promises for contractual workers — a long-standing demand.
Claiming arrears
Others asked him to pay the arrears for the past four years, most pegging their calculations at the rate of ₹2,500 per month. For long, the Bharatiya Janata Party in the State claimed that this was the amount the State government had promised during the last elections and had last year held a mega rally demanding that the government fulfil its promises. Senior Minister Ravindra Choubey had dismissed the claims that ₹2,500 was the promised amount.
Meanwhile, for a State that claimed to have registered a low unemployment rate over the past many months, confusion also remained on the number of beneficiaries. Sources close to the government revealed that there were over 19 lakh live registrations on the State’s unemployment portal in the State till last November. That, however, was a floating number.
Economy, religion, culture
The CM also said that for strengthening the cottage industry-based rural economy, and to increase employment and the income of people in villages, a rural industry policy would be formulated in the State.
Among the other announcements were property tax exemption for factories located in industrial areas developed by the Industries Department; setting up of an aerocity near Raipur airport; housing assistance scheme for labourers; and a scheme to promote women entrepreneurship.
Some of his announcements also had cultural and religious significance such as holding the Ramayan and Manas Mandli Mahotsav apart from organising the Maa Kaushlaya Mahotsav in Chandkhuri, where Mata Kaushlya temple was located, annually.
