Telangana unemployment problem persists
The unemployment problem continues to be a powerful political weapon for opposition parties in any state and Telangana is no exception. In fact, one of the cornerstones of the Telangana movement was ending the unemployment problem for good by emancipating the region from the yoke of Andhra rulers. But the problem remains where it was before the bifurcation of the state. Immediately after Telangana’s formation, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had promised to fill 1.07 lakh jobs in the government. But of it, only 70,000 have been filled. The opposition says that at least 1.91 lakh vacancies are still there in the government. Now and then, whenever the heat is high, the carrot of unemployment allowance is dangled before the youth.
Recently, Telangana Cabinet Minister K T Rama Rao said in the Assembly that no government, whether in India or outside, can provide government jobs to more than 5% of the unemployed youth and that it was the reason why the state was trying to land investments. To call a spade a spade, one should agree that the BJP, which is pointing an accusing finger at the state government, does not have a great record in providing employment at the all-India level. It had promised
2 crore jobs per annum but the reality is not anywhere near that figure. The TRS too promised the moon but has delivered very little to the youth, who are hungry for jobs. As far as addressing the problem is concerned, the states and Centre should work shoulder to shoulder rather than going for each other’s throats. The issue is too sensitive to be used as a tool for political mileage as it concerns the future of the country. As providing government jobs to all the unemployed youth is impossible, the only solution is to encourage the private sector, which can tap into the very large talent pool of the country.