Blueprint laid out for Delhi's jobs plan

New Delhi: Even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday chaired a key review meeting to set micro-level targets and timelines for each sector and department to achieve its 20 lakh jobs target in the next five years, the plans showed that the bulk of these jobs is

estimated to be created through the Delhi Start-up Policy (9 lakh+) and the Redevelopment of Non-Conforming Notified Industrial Areas (6 lakh+), according to the blueprint presented to the CM.

While the CM acknowledged the herculean task before them and encouraged officials in each department to persistently work towards it, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who presented the "Rozgaar Budget" last month, directed all department heads to expedite the processing of files and decision-making in this regard.

Sisodia said the government will not "tolerate any excuses" in review meetings and that it is each department's responsibility to overcome the challenges in whatever way possible. Some of the projects expected to generate the bulk of these estimated jobs include:

Redevelopment of Markets

While the Delhi government is yet to decide on which retail markets it will develop to make them a tourist attraction and bring business, it has said that the Tourism Department and the DTTDC will be working on this and that the administration will promote iconic markets like Lajpat Nagar and Kamla Nagar to achieve this.

The Grand Garment Hub

Under this initiative for a massive overhaul of the Gandhi Nagar cloth market — Asia's largest such market, the Industries department and DSIIDC will work to regulate and protect businesses there and rebrand it with a "Readymade in Dilli" tag as an identifier of quality.

Non-Conforming Notified Industrial Areas

Under this plan, the Delhi government intends to redevelop 25 notified non-conforming industrial areas with the Industries Department working to protect 51,000 units and over 15L blue-collar jobs by providing access to credit, growth strategy, tax compliance, etc.

The Startup Policy

The project under which the government is hedging almost 50 per cent of its jobs promise, will offer fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to recognised entrepreneurs and startups, empanel mentors, subject matter experts and investors and build a digital network of co-working spaces, incubators and fabrication labs.

Electronic City

This project will be developed along the Green Clean Sustainable Industries model and will facilitate MSME component manufacturers to cluster around anchor units. The government is planning clusters of electronics design and manufacturing units.

In addition to these, the Delhi government also intends to create a single-window clearance for film approvals

to promote the Capital and film destination — which will

eventually be worked into the Delhi Film Policy and

help in organising the envisioned Delhi International Film Festival.

Moreover, the Dilli Bazaar portal and Rozgaar Bazaar 2.0 projects will be ramped up to connect job seekers with employers and connect businesses to consumers in the online space.

The Delhi government also plans to attract business by regenerating Conforming Industrial Areas by reclaiming sick land parcels in existing spaces and putting them to alternate economic use.

The objective of the government through this jobs plan is to make sure that at least 45 per cent of the 1.68 crore workforce of Delhi is employed in the next five years.