How UP plans to create jobs for economic recovery

Although UP has seen no upward trend in the number of registered unemployed during the lockdown, there are indications that more people will opt to register themselves when restrictions are eased and more migrant workers arrive in the state.

The Uttar Pradesh government faces the challenge of giving jobs to the unemployed following the Covid-19 pandemic as more and more migrant labourers continue to arrive in Uttar Pradesh, which has over 33 lakh registered jobless people.

The number of job seekers is bound to increase in the post-lockdown scenario as about 10 lakh migrant labourers have already arrived and an equal number are expected to reach the state by May-end.

Although UP has seen no upward trend in the number of registered unemployed during the lockdown, there are indications that more people will opt to register themselves when restrictions are eased and more migrant workers arrive in the state.

“Our figures of the total unemployed persons has remained static at about 33.90 lakh registrations up to now. In fact, this figure has shown a bit of a decline from 33.93 lakh in February 2020 (before the lockdown) to 33.91 lakh during lockdown-3 (May), as the registrations lapse in three years, if not renewed,” said a senior officer.

“Most people do not register while others opting to register online do so using cyber cafes that have remained closed (since the lockdown). The total number of registered unemployed persons may go up when restrictions ease in the coming weeks,” the officer said.

The number of job seekers is bound to increase in the post-lockdown scenario as about 10 lakh migrant labourers have already arrived and an equal number are expected to reach the state by May-end.

The state government is exploring all options to give a push to the economy and create more jobs for both skilled and unskilled workers. “Yes, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has asked for an action plan to create 20 lakh new jobs. We are working on the strategy and about 10 lakh jobs have been already identified. The exercise to identify more new jobs is underway,” chief secretary RK Tiwari said.

As the fourth phase of the lockdown with changes in accordance with the Centre’s directives will begin on May 18, the chief minister has been holding discussions and viewing presentations with his ministers and senior officers to give a final shape to the state government’s future course of action.

“We need to turn challenges into opportunities,” Yogi Adityanath said at a meeting convened to discuss measures to give a push to the industry sector.

It was at one such high-level meeting that Yogi Adityanath asked senior officers to work out an action plan for creation of additional jobs.

He said there were about 90 lakh Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and if every unit employed one more person, about 90 lakh additional jobs will be created in the state.

After implementing a coronavirus action plan and enforcing the lockdown to check the spread of the coronavirus, the state government has begun working on lockdown exit plans, a strategy to push economic activities and ways to provide gainful employment to the people.

Loan melas are being organised across the state from May 12 to May 20. Rules have been relaxed and made transparent to set up new industrial units in the state. Construction activities have started on major projects, including expressways, and directives have been issued to allot mining leases to ensure availability of construction material, generate employment and revenue. Hardware shops outside hotspots have been allowed to open and more such activities, like allowing retail business, may be witnessed in the coming weeks.

The state government also proposes to utilise the National Skill Development Mission, the National Rural Livelihoods Mission, the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme and other such government schemes to provide jobs to the people. Already 119 sugar mills, 12000 brick kilns and 2500 cold storages have been functioning during the lockdown providing more than 28 lakh jobs. The state government has been pushing for opening of all the industrial units situated outside hotspots to ensure that all those employed there are not rendered jobless.

The state government says the industrial units resuming operations have been able to give work to 2.12 lakh workers. Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are reportedly giving work to 16.40 lakh people by now while 23.60 lakh were being given work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MGNRES). It seems Uttar Pradesh will, however, have to traverse a long way to economic recovery.