Kejriwal promises unemployment allowance, job quota for local people

Dehradun, Sep 19 (PTI):
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday promised to take big steps to end migration from Uttarakhand, assuring an unemployment allowance and an 80 per cent job quota for people of the state if his party comes to power in the next assembly elections. Making six promises, Kejriwal said every youth of Uttarakhand would get employment if the AAP is voted to power, and assured a monthly allowance of Rs 5,000 to an individual from every family till they got a job.
He also promised to reserve 80 per cent of both private and government jobs for the people of the state and to create one lakh employment opportunities within six months of coming to power. A job portal, on the lines of the one in Delhi, will be launched which will provide an interactive platform to job seekers and employers, Kejriwal said, addressing a press conference in Haldwani. A separate ministry will also be created to address the issues of unemployment and migration, the Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor added. Kejriwal also accused successive governments of doing nothing but looting Uttarakhand’s resources for years. If voted to power, the AAP will take big steps for large-scale creation of jobs and prevention of migration from the hills, he said.
Referring to his earlier promises of free electricity to farmers round the clock and 300 units of power to every household at no cost, Kejriwal said all these are meant to be fulfilled. “Unlike others, we do what we say. We are going to keep all our promises. If we say we will give free power to farmers 24×7 or give 300 units of power for free, we mean it. We have done it in Delhi, and we will do it here,” he added. He asserted that all of what he has said can be done and the only thing needed is good intention.
“Successive governments in Uttarakhand have been devoid of good intentions and have only looted its resources,” Kejriwal alleged.
“When we came to power in Delhi in 2015, we were asked from where would we bring the money that was needed to keep the commitments we had made to people. But we turned a deficit budget into one of profit within four years. All we did was wipe out corruption and everything else followed,” he said.
Kejriwal said the AAP has run Delhi and it will bring that experience to serve the people of Uttarakhand.
Seventy-three per cent of people in Delhi are getting free electricity, he said, adding that the Delhi model of development will be adopted in Uttarakhand.
Giving an example of how the Delhi government was saving money on every development project, he said the Wazirpur flyover which was estimated to be built at a cost of Rs 325 crore required Rs 200 crore only.
Given an opportunity, the AAP will help the people of Uttarakhand overcome the misery of 21 years in just 21 months.
If people want all this to happen, they must give AAP’s chief ministerial candidate Col Ajay Kothiyal a chance, Kejriwal added.
Taking a dig at the ruling BJP which has changed two chief ministers in Uttarakhand in quick succession, Kejriwal said, “If you vote for BJP you will get a new chief minister every month, but if you vote for Kothiyal, you will get a stable CM for five years who will get your children jobs.”
Governments do not suffer from shortage of funds, what they lack is good intentions, he said. He asked people to give just one chance to Kothiyal if they wanted the announcements made to them to be fulfilled.
“We don’t make false promises. We make only promises which are meant to be kept. Politics and corruption are not in our blood,” he said.
Replying to a question, he said the AAP’s doors are open for good people in all other parties.
“Good people in other parties who feel suffocated and want to do something for employment generation, infrastructure development, roads and electricity are welcome,” he said.
It was Kejriwal’s third visit to the poll-bound state within just a few months. On each visit he has made a string of populist announcements to lure voters, including free electricity to farmers for 24 hours, free electricity up to 300 units per billing cycle, exemption from payment of old bills and now an unemployment allowance of Rs 5,000 and an 80 per cent job quota for locals.
The AAP sees an opportunity for itself in Uttarakhand where the BJP and the Congress have been in power alternately.

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