Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal blamed previous Congress Government of depriving them of their livelihood by signing an MOU with the Government of India in May, 2004 to completely ban creation of employment avenue in government sector in the name of Medium Term Fiscal Reforms Programme of the Government of India as recommended by the Eleventh Finance Commission.
In a press communiqué, BJP leader alleged that the MOU barred lakhs of educated unemployed youth of the State from getting employment in government and public sector undertakings as no new positions were allowed to be created thereby no fresh recruitments had taken place. It was decided by the then Congress Government to abolish all posts which were lying vacant for the past three years and report to this effect was summoned by 1st of January every year. A specific government order, duly approved by the then Congress Government Cabinet was passed that no vacancy of class III and IV shall be filled up, meaning thereby that cadre strength of Class III and IV was curtailed drastically, which generally had been the most sought after employment avenue for the educated unemployed youth of the State. Even the compassionate employment of kith and kin of government employees was fixed at 300.
He added that the former Congress Government had adopted the policy of regularization of daily wagers strictly in conformity with the judicial orders only and whenever any official retired the posts were deemed to have been abolished forthwith. Prem Kumar Dhumal claimed that it was only when BJP took over the reigns in the State and decided to generate ample employment opportunities to the youth. Over 45,000 avenues had been created in government and public sector undertakings alone wherein state youth was provided employment and additionally about one lakh youth was employed in private sector which included industrial and hydro power sector. While the previous Congress Government could provide employment to only 3,386 persons the BJP Government set a new record by creating livelihood to about 1.5 lakh youth. 70 percent employment to state youth in industrial and hydro power sector has been made mandatory which has benefited large number of youth to find avenues for their employment. No category of workers and employees has been left uncovered with the wage enhancement by BJP Government.
He added that the daily wages have been doubled from Rs. 75 to Rs. 150 while the Congress during its regime had increased only Rs. 10; social security pension has been increased from Rs. 200 per month to Rs. 450 per month wherein not even a single rupee was added during Congress regime in the state. To generate self employment avenues in rural areas a number of schemes have been launched which contained record highest component of subsidy with a view to motivate rural educated youth to go for self employment avocations.
Prof. Dhumal said that since the Vidhan Sabha Elections are scheduled for 4th November and Congress leaders and their nominees are again making attempts to befool innocent electors by making false promises which neither have ever been fulfilled during its previous regimes and will also never see the light of the day in future as well. He stated that the people of Himachal Pradesh are well educated and wise who know their real benefactors well and have delivered the goods during current BJP regime, since BJP not only fulfilled each one of the promises made with the people but has done much more than that in the best interest of the state. He reminded people of the promise of providing one employment to each family made by the Congress to grab power in the State, which had never been fulfilled. This is just one example of the false promise Congress has been making and there are hundreds of other such glaring examples where Congress has failed miserably. BJP leader has appealed to the electors to be aware of such trap.
