PM inaugurates Rozgar Mela; 75,000 appointees get job letters

He informed said that the Centre is focussed on manufacturing and tourism sectors as they generate maximum jobs

Launching the 'Rozgar Mela', which aims to recruit 10 lakh youth for central government jobs by December 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said economies worldwide were facing challenges with inflation and unemployment at their peak. The PM attributed the hardships to the "side effects" of Covid-19. He said the government had taken measures to ensure India remains unscathed.

The event was organised at 50 places across India where Union ministers were present to distribute appointment letters to 75,000 recruits for government jobs. The Modi government has received sustained flak for its failure to deliver on its promise to create jobs. The Centre's effort comes with elections to Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat assemblies scheduled for November-December.

According to the latest annual report of the Department of Expenditure on Pay and Allowances, the total number of central government civilian employees was 31.91 lakh in March 2020 against the sanctioned strength of 40.78 lakh, and approximately 21.75 per cent of the posts were vacant.

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The latest data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) said India's unemployment rate dropped from 8.3 per cent in August to 6.43 per cent in September due to increased labour participation in the rural and urban areas.

The PM said that no one thinks the side-effects of the once-in-a-century Covid-19 will go away in 100 days, adding that India is taking new initiatives and some risks to shield the country from being affected by these problems. He urged the new appointees to keep their "kartavya path" (duties) in mind.

Later in the day, the PM virtually launched the 'griha pravesh' ceremony of 4.51 lakh beneficiaries of the PM Awas Yojana in Madhya Pradesh's Satna district by pressing a remote button. "Earlier governments made promises and claims of Garibi Hatao (poverty alleviation). It was only a political gimmick," the PM claimed. "Every taxpayer must be thinking (today) that as I am celebrating Diwali, the poor brothers in MP, too, are rejoicing during the festival of light. He is getting a pukka house. His daughter's life will improve. But when this taxpayer sees that the money (tax) collected from him is being spent on the distribution of Revdi (freebies), he is pained," Modi said.

The Congress called the 'Rozgar Mela' "eventbaazi" by the "jumla king", asking when the promised 16 crore jobs would be provided to the country's youth.