Only 0.6% growth in employment rate across State
   Date :04-Jun-2019

 
Staff Reporter;
 
Bhilai
 
It is really a matter of concern as only 2.3 lakh jobs were generated at entire Chhattisgarh of all genders as well as age groups in last five years. On one hand, State is witnessing a rapid growth of 2.3% in the population of people every year but on the other hand, the employment rate of age group managed to show a rise of only 0.6% every year. In this condition, unemployment is rising in State and it is also responsible for migration of people to other states and also of crime and suicide numbers. The latest figures of Periodic Labour Force Report of year 2014-15 to 2018-19 reveals that Chhattisgarh fails to create jobs for its population of all age groups in both rural as well as urban areas. The unemployment rate has been reported more pathetic in rural areas than urban areas.
 
In rural areas, no initiatives were taken by State Government to improve the industrial sector especially in micro, small and medium industries of agro related ones. In 2007-08, erstwhile State Government had established some micro and small scale industries of agro-based products. But then, no step had been taken to set up more industries. Even many of these micro industries had to shut down their units due to poor order and high expense in maintaining them.
 
“By seeing success of agro-based industries in Gujarat, Punjab, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh had introduced it at small numbers in rural areas but without analysing everything and as a result many of them were closed down within few years due to losses as well as poor performance. Because of their failure, government did not take any step to more such units in other rural areas which would be helped to raise employment,” said Manish Jain, Chartered Accountant and Secretary of Chhattisgarh Chambers of Commerce and Industries. In between 2014-15 to 2018-19, the population of the State reported a rise of over 43.5 lakh.
 
 
But in the same time period, only 2.3 lakh jobs were created at all of industrial sources, administration, police and other areas. That means in comparison to population, only 0.6% rise has been reported in the jobs across State with every passing year. In contrast to Chhattisgarh, Karnataka showed a rise of 6.4% in the jobs with every passing year in same time duration and Gujarat and Uttarakhand saw a rise of 5.2% and 4.8% jobs growth every year in this time duration. In urban areas too, construction and manufacturing sectors were affected badly and it had failed to create jobs for local population. The state which is rich in minerals and also have of huge lands, 24 hours electricity, sufficient amount of water and better roadways, the poor output of industrial sector is raising lots of questions in the working structure and planning schemes of the government.
 
 
Because of poor job scenario, higher education of the state is also being affected and professional institutes of skill development and technical ones struggle a lot to get students. It also raised the migration to a large extent as over 25 lakh people in the state migrated to other states in only last two years. In this regard, Umesh Patel, Cabinet Minister of Skill Development in Chhattisgarh stated that now election is over and department is making plans to restructure skill development programmes at State in a progressive manner. On the other hand, Guru Rudra Kumar, Cabinet Minister of Rural Industries in Chhattisgarh asserted that rural industrial sector of State is in good shape and provide jobs to rural people. Despite these claims, industrial sector of Chhattisgarh is in poor state and there is need of immediate steps to improve it so that jobs will be created.