More job recruitment under BJP than previous govts in Haryana: Khattar

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday said there have been more recruitment to government jobs in the past nine years under the BJP as compared to previous government's tenure, and added that selections have been transparent and based on merit.

Results for approximately 29,000 posts will be declared within the next eight days, Khattar said in the state assembly during the motion of thanks to the Haryana Governor's address.

During his address, Khattar took on Congress leader Raghuvir Singh Kadian who had alleged wrongdoings in government recruitment.

Asking Kadian to provide proof of his allegations, the chief minister told the Congress leader that if he failed to do so then he would move a privilege motion against him.

Khattar said that the government has established Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN) to protect the people employed on temporary jobs through contractors.

"This initiative aims to allocate outsourced jobs to the youth while ensuring additional benefits such as EPF (employees provident fund) and ESI (employees state insurance). Moreover, approximately 1,08,000 employees currently outsourced have been transitioned to the HKRN. The selection process for youth within the Nigam adheres to transparent principles," he said.

Refuting the Opposition claims that Haryana has the highest unemployment rate in the country, Khattar said “they keep changing their figures”.

He pointed out that the Opposition often cites data from CMIE (Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy), which initially showed 2.6 per cent unemployment in Haryana in December 2016 but later surged to 37 per cent.

In October-December 2023, CMIE recorded 8.6 per cent unemployment in the state, he said.

Khattar underscored the government's initiative of issuing 'Parivar Pehchan Patra' or family identity cards, where individuals had self-declared their employment status. According to this data, the unemployment rate ranges between 7.5 to 8 per cent, he said.

Khattar said over the past nine and a half years, employment opportunities have been provided to more than 30 lakh people in the private sector. The state has witnessed a consistent rise in investment, leading to the expansion of industries and subsequently, increased job opportunities for the youth.

Notably, Haryana holds the top position in per capita GST collection among major states, he added.

On the power sector, he said the state now boasts surplus electricity, and there has been no increase in electricity tariffs over the past nine and a half years.

"Moreover, uninterrupted electricity supply is now available in 5,898 villages across the state," he said.

The Haryana government is also establishing a 800 megawatt thermal power plant in Yamunanagar, with the tendering process already underway, the chief minister added.