BENGALURU: The scheme of the new Congress government guarantees an unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 for unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders, till they find a job or for two years maximum. The government announced that those who completed their studies this academic year are eligible to avail of the scheme.
Director of the Institute for Social and Economic Change Prof. D Rajasekhar felt it is a good scheme as it helps unemployed youths lead a dignified life with confidence and self-respect, and the allowance will also help the economy to some extent. “Countries like Germany, Denmark, Norway and many others have such schemes, and they also offer skill development courses and assistance in finding suitable jobs.
The state government should help the youth hone skills and assist them in finding jobs. Else, the scheme may turn out to be a burden on the state exchequer, and beneficiaries may demand that the allowance be extended till they find a job, even after two years are up, as they would become dependent on the allowance,” he said.
However, he added that the government must put a robust system in place to avoid misuse of the scheme. “There are several systems already in place to track payments to bank accounts, but the government should use them effectively to avoid misuse of the scheme,” he suggested.