After the information technology sector in Gurugram expressed strong reservations about the new law guaranteeing 75% jobs in private sector to the local population, the garments industry, employing close to 10 lakh people in the State, has also given a thumbs down to the legislation and demanded exemption from it.
A survey by the Garments Exporters and Manufacturers Association (GEMA) among its members has revealed that more than 82% may not consider Haryana for expansion in case the new law is not repealed, or the industry is not exempted from its provisions. An equal number believes that they would not be able to source adequate skilled strength from Haryana only and none of the major employers, who generate employment of more than 3,000 people, believe that they would be able to source people only from the State. The survey also disclosed that a big majority has less than 20% employees based in Haryana.
GEMA general secretary Animesh Saxena said the industry body also sent a representation to Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Wednesday, requesting exemption from the provisions of the new law due to high skill and precision requirementsand non-availability of such persons in Haryana.
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Skill requirement
In a press statement, GEMA claimed that the website of Haryana Skill Development Mission has only 4,508 trained persons available across all the 33 job roles of apparel sector like tailors, cutters and supervisors and not all of them may be willing or be fully suitable for the actual roles. They may not even fulfil the domicile criterion of the law. “Industrial Training Institutes in Haryana did not offer much training courses in apparel industry trades historically and there must be reasons for this. This indicates that perhaps some vocations in Haryana may not be preferred. Forcing the population to adopt a different practice would more be a wishful thinking than a practical solution to employment generation. Geographic and social traditions are too deep-rooted to be amenable to the legislations and can only end up destroying a vibrant industry sector including related jobs,” said the statement.