BJP at Centre backed affirmative action to make people employable

No proposal to provide quota in private jobs, said former MoS Vijay Sampla

Even as ambiguity over the enactment of legislation to provide 75% reservation in private-sector jobs to Haryana youth continued a day before the budget session of the state assembly that begins on Thursday, the BJP government at the Centre has quite a different view on the issue.

HT Image

In response to an unstarred question on whether the government proposes to formulate any scheme to implement reservation in appointment in private companies, in March 2018, the then Union minister of state (MoS) for commerce and industry, CR Chaudhary, had told the Lok Sabha that a coordination committee for affirmative action for SC/ST in the private sector was set up in 2016 by the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) of the Union government.

In accordance with the decisions of the committee, apex industry associations — CII, FICCI and ASSOCHAM — had prepared a voluntary code of conduct for member companies centered around education, employability, entrepreneurship and employment to achieve inclusion.

Similarly, the then MoS (social justice), Vijay Sampla, had in response to an unstarred question on whether the government intends to provide reservation in jobs to persons belonging to the SC/ST category in the private sector had told the Rajya Sabha in May 2016 that there was no proposal to provide reservation in jobs to such persons.

‘How will govt attract investment with such regressive measure’

In fact, legislators cutting across party lines have also expressed reservations over the private sector.

“The economic sentiment is already low. How can the government think of attracting investment with such a regressive measure?” asked a BJP MLA, who sought to remain anonymous.

Independent MLA from Meham, Balraj Kundu, said the industry can run only if there is profitability.

“A bill is not going to bring employment in the state. A holistic view would be to impart skills and train the youngsters in a manner that they become employable,” Kundu said.

Congress MLA from Faridabad NIT, Neeraj Sharma, said such a measure will not be in the long-term interests of the industry as well the youngsters.

CM sounds non-committal

While the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), the coalition partner of the BJP government in Haryana, had made a commitment to provide 75% quota in private-sector jobs to state youth in its election manifesto, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar recently sounded non-committal about the prospect of enacting a law to provide such reservation.

Though Khattar has been emphatic that government will go ahead with the proposed quota in private-sector jobs, sources close to him say the proposed bill in this regard might be watered down to ensure there is no pressure on the industry.

“Absence of legislation or a watered-down law will make the 75% quota literally a non-starter,” said a labour department official.

The council of ministers had on January 31 deferred a proposal to approve the draft private-sector quota bill and referred it to the law secretary for vetting following prolonged deliberations among the cabinet members.

The move to introduce reservation for local youth in the private sector jobs is on the lines of the law enacted by YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s government in Andhra Pradesh.

The proposal, though, has the potential to upset the investors. In Andhra also, the move has been termed regressive, officials said.

Only unskilled may benefit

Khattar had on February 7 made a reference to hiring unskilled workers by the industry while talking about the private job quota, thus indicating that the proposal could only be for the unskilled workers.

“It will not be mandatory for the industry and enterprise to implement the quota. Also, if the industry was not able to get 75% workers from Haryana, it will be at liberty to hire from outside the state,” the chief minister had said.

The Andhra Quota Model

The Andhra Pradesh government which was the first to enact legislation in 2019 to provide 75% private sector jobs to local candidates stipulates a three-year window for the existing industries, factories, joint ventures and projects taken up under the PPP mode to provide 75% employment to local candidates.

The Andhra law also says that where qualified or suitable candidates are not available, the industry with the active collaboration of government will take steps to train and engage locals within three years.

The law also provides for exemption to the industry from its provisions if it is established after an inquiry that local candidates were not available for employment.