VIJAYAWADA: The State Cabinet on Friday approved a draft bill that reserves 75 per cent of jobs for locals in all industries, including units, factories, joint ventures and projects set up under public-private partnership mode.
The Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, gave its nod to the draft bill which also guarantees jobs to people who lose their lands to industries.
The 75 per cent quota for locals in industries is a promise made by Jagan during his historic padayatra. The YSRC poll manifesto says a bill to reserve 75 per cent jobs for locals in industries would be tabled in the first Assembly session after the party comes to power.
According to sources the issue came up for discussion at Thursday’s cabinet meeting itself. "The CM, citing the party’s poll manifesto, directed the officials concerned to draft a bill accordingly. Officials, however, baulked at the idea, pointing out that it may be legally complicated," the sources said.
The CM was reportedly upset with their attitude and advised them to see how things could be done instead of the opposite. It appears that the issue was referred to the legal department.
There were whispers that the Chief Minister had asked the officials to check if non-locals recruited by units set up in the last three years could be retrenched. When contacted, Udaya Lakshmi, Principal Secretary (labour, employment, training and factories) flatly denied having any conversation on the proposed bill at the meeting. Chief Secretary LV Subramanyam did not respond to a query on the issue.