Modi govt's suppression of job data is deceit: CPIM

Calling it "deceit", CPM on Thursday targeted the Narendra Modi government for "suppressing" data following the leakage of an official report that painted a dismal picture of job scenario where the unemployment rate has touched 6.1%, the highest in over four decades.

In a statement, the party Polit Bureau said the latest National Sample Survey Organisation's (NSSO) data that has been withheld by the Modi government has shown that unemployment in India post-demonetisation has reached a four-decade high.

"The rate of joblessness among the rural males in the age group of 15-29 years jumped more than three times to 17.4% in 2017-18 compared to 5% in 2011-12. Unemployment rate of rural female youth stood at 13.6 per cent compared to 4.8 per cent in the same period. High levels of unemployment were registered for the educated youth both rural and urban," it said quoting a media report.

"It is clear that the Modi government has been suppressing this information from reaching the public domain. This has resulted in two members of the National Statistical Commission, a statutory body which releases the NSSO reports, resigning. This includes the acting Chairman. This leaves just two members of the seven that the NSC is supposed to have," the CPM said.

Citing that the Modi government had earlier refused to release the Labour Bureau’s annual survey of 2016-17, the party said the "suppression" of data is a "clear admission" on the part of the government that its policies have resulted in "greater misery" for the people.

"India’s youth which is our asset is now being wasted. It also exposes the utter failure of the BJP-led government to deliver on its promise of providing two crore jobs every year i.e. ten crore new jobs during the last five years," it said.

The CPM demanded that all data must be released immediately and discussed in Parliament, saying the people of the country have a right to know about the "grim realities" facing them.