Employment generation priority for govt: Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 6

Union Labor Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar on Wednesday informed Rajya Sabha that employment generation coupled with improving employability was a priority for the government.

In a written reply, Gangwar said that Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) has been initiated for facilitating self-employment under which collateral free loans up to Rs 10 lakh are extending to small/micro business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to setup or expand their business activities.

Till January 25 this year, a total of more than 15 crore loans have been sanctioned under the scheme.

Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojan (PMRPY) had been initiated in the year 2016-17 for incentivising employers for employment generation. Under it government pays the entire employer’s contribution ( 12 per cent or as admissible) towards the EPS and EPF for all sectors with effect from April 1, 2018, to all eligible new employees for the next three years from the date of registration of the new employee.

Benefits have been given to more than one lakh establishments covering about one core beneficiaries till January 1, 2019, under the scheme.

He further said that under Skill India Mission, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is implementing a flagship scheme known as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 2016-20 with an objective to provide skilling to one crore people under Short Training (STT), Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Special Project (SP) across the country for four year (2016-2020) with an outlay of Rs 12,000 crore.

Under the scheme, short duration skill development training programme is being imparted to all prospective candidates including candidates belonging to BPL in the country.

Gangwar’s remarks assume significance in the light on an ongoing debate on the rise of unemployment in the country. A recent media report quotes leaked employment data as saying that the estimated rate of unemployment in the country stood at 6.1 per cent in 2017-18. Indian government’s think-tank Niti Aayog however disputed the data saying that exercise to collate unemployment data was still ongoing.