NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Labour and Employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar on Monday said that there is no reason to show that employment has reduced due to demonetisation.
The minister made the comments in the Lok Sabha response to comments that demonetisation has severely impacted jobs.
Saying that the government was implementing various schemes for generating employment, Gangwar said, “There is no reason that employment has come down (Aisa koi karan nahi hai ki rozgar kam hua hai),” the minister said.
His response was in reply to supplementaries by TMC member Kalyan Banerjee who said that thousands of labourers in his constituency had lost jobs due to demonetisation and whether the government would take steps in this regard.
In November 2016, the central government demonetised old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.
According to the minister, every citizen has a right to migrate to any part of the country in quest of better job opportunities and prospects.
“The Constitution of India guarantees all citizens the fundamental right to move freely through the territory of India,” he said.
The minister said the government is also implementing the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 to mitigate hardships caused by migration.
Gangwar had courted controversy a few months ago when he said that there was no shortage of jobs but north Indians were not qualified enough to get jobs.