Provide Employment Opportunities Instead of Unemployment Allowance

By: Jan 14th, 2017 12:21 am

Rajesh Verma (The writer is based at Baldwara, Mandi)

Rajesh VermaUnemployment is one such word that immediately brings worry lines on any face as both the villages and cities are grappling with this problem. The respective governments keep putting in efforts to reduce unemployment problem but removing it completely is not possible for any state or country. One temporary measure to reduce its pangs is unemployment allowance.

In Himachal Pradesh too, unemployed allowance issue has surfaced in discussions many a times. According to Labour and Employment Department, there are about eight lakh unemployed youths registered in various employment exchanges of the state. Out of these, about 67,000 are post graduate, about one lakh are graduate, about six lakh are matric to undergraduate and about 60,000 are under matric. But I believe that actual unemployment is just 50% of this figure as other 50% are already employed in the private sector. However, every youth keeps his name registered in employment exchange with a hope to get a government job.  But we view unemployment figure always linked to the government sector.

There is a considerable strength of people working in private sector that are getting handsome salary while his or her name is still registered in any employment exchange. The lure of a government job is so strong that a candidate who is getting a fat salary in private sector does not get his name deleted from employment exchange with a hope of getting a government job one day. Therefore in total only 3.4 lakh unemployed are eligible for unemployment allowance. It is not possible for our government to provide unemployment allowance to such a big population with its limited resources. And our educated unemployed youths never raise any voice for such an allowance. What he asks for is opportunities of employment. Is unemployment allowance the last option for unemployed youths till one gets a job?

In my view, instead of developing a habit of unemployment allowance among unemployed youths, they should be taken in the direction of self employment. The government should provide easy loans to unemployed youths to start own business. The government should abolish application fee for jobs advertised by the state and Centre as many educated youth are unable to fill forms due to a lack of funds. Addiction of unemployment allowance will prove as a slow poison that will kill the talent of youth as they would consider unemployment allowance as the last option. So the government should provide employment and self employment opportunities instead of providing unemployment allowance.


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