J’khand nod to 75% quota for locals in pvt jobs

RANCHI: The Jharkhand cabinet has approved an employment policy that mandates a 75% reservation in private sector jobs up to a monthly salary of ₹30,000 for local residents, people familiar with the matter said

RANCHI: The Jharkhand cabinet has approved an employment policy that mandates a 75% reservation in private sector jobs up to a monthly salary of ₹30,000 for local residents, people familiar with the matter said.

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A minister who was part of the cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Hemant Soren said on condition of anonymity that as of now jobs will be reserved for the locals in the industrial units only.

“As of now it[the policy] will be implemented in the industrial units. In due course, other sectors could also follow,” said the minister.

The minister, however, refused to share the policy’s blueprint saying it will be made public at an opportune time. People familiar withe the matter said the chief minister is likely to make a formal announcement over the decision in the coming week during the ongoing budget session of Jharkhand assembly.

Reserving jobs in the private sector for the state’s local residents was a poll promise for the state’s ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in the run-up to the 2019 assembly polls.

The decision comes days after Haryana implemented its policy reserving 75% jobs in the private sector up to a ₹50, 000 a month salary for local candidates.

Opposition BJP said while they welcomed any decision that was for the benefit of the state’s youngsters, they were apprehensive over whether the ruling party would be able to effectively implement the decision.

“We have serious doubts that these schemes would help the beneficiaries. It is likely to meet the same fate as the agricultural loan waiver announcement which has hardly benefitted the needy as yet,” said Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo.

BJP government in Haryana has recently come up with a similar decision reserving 75% jobs in private sector for the locals. However, the salary cap in the northern state has been kept higher.

President of the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce & Industries (FJCCI), Praveen Jain Chhabra said in-principle they were not against such a reservation policy but the government should simultaneously help in developing skilled labour force within the state.

“We would like the government to push for setting up skill development centres and help the industry in recruiting workforce locally,” he said.