New Delhi: Amid a chorus over lack of employment opportunities, the central government said it has generated over 3.81 lakh jobs in the last two fiscals in its different organisations, according to the Budget 2019-20 documents. The strength of government establishments was 32,38,397 as on March 1, 2017, which increased to 36,19,596 by the same date in 2019 an increase of 3,81,199, according to the Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday.
The Congress and other opposition parties have accused the BJP-led NDA government of rising unemployment in the country. They had stepped up their attack on the Narendra Modi government over job creation after it announced demonetisation in 2016.
The Budget documents give break-up of the jobs that were created in the central government departments in the last two years. A highest of 98,999 people claimed to have been recruited by the Ministry of Railways alone. Its strength of around 12.7 lakh in March 2017 rose to 13.69 lakh as on March 1, 2019.
There were nearly 80,000 new jobs created in the police force during 2017 and 2019, the documents said. Over 53,000 new jobs were created in indirect tax departments and 29,935 in direct tax departments, it said. The strength in indirect taxes and direct taxes was 53,394 and 50,208 respectively as on March 1, 2017.
As many as 46,347 new jobs were created in the Ministry of Defence (civil). Its strength was 42,370 in March 2017 that increased to 88,717 by the same month in 2019.
Nearly 10,000 jobs have been created in the Department of Atomic Energy, 2,250 in the Department of Telecommunications, 3,981 in Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, according to the document.
As many as 7,743 new jobs were created in the Department of Science and Technology; 6,338 in the Ministry of Mines; 2,920 in the Department of Space; 2,056 in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; and 1,833 in the External Affairs Ministry between 2017 and 2019, it said.
A total of 3,647 new jobs were created in the Culture Ministry, followed by 1,835 in the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers' Welfare, and 1,189 in the Civil Aviation Ministry, the Budget documents said.
"As the world's third largest domestic aviation market, the time is ripe for India to enter into aircraft financing and leasing activities from Indian shores. This is critical to the development of a self-reliant aviation industry, creating aspirational jobs in aviation finance, besides leveraging the business opportunities available in India's financial Special Economic Zones (SEZs), namely, International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).
"The government will implement the essential elements of the regulatory roadmap for making India a hub for such activities, Sitharaman had said in her Budget speech. To prepare youths to also take up jobs overseas, the government will increase focus on skill sets needed abroad including language training, she had said.
The Government also defended in the Rajya Sabha its plan to disinvest 26 per cent of its stake in public-sector BEML and asserted that all precautions are being taken so that there are no question marks on national security. The government has a shareholding of 54.03 per cent in the PSU Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) which is involved in defence, rail and mining sectors.
Allaying fears expressed by members during the Question Hour, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said all aspects of strategic sale are taken into account before disinvesting in a PSU company. He said it has been the policy of all governments as well as recommendation of the Niti Aayog on strategic sale of assets in public sector undertakings.
"If strategic disinvestment is being done, all precautions are being taken so that there is no question mark on our national security. We are taking all precautions and national security is foremost for our government," the minister told Rajya Sabha.
He said BEML has businesses in several segments and the defence segment has only 16.16 per cent, while its rail and network business comprises 31.12 per cent of its total business and mining and construction is 52.27 per cent. "It is not that defence work is being done in 100 per cent of the total work done by the company," he said, adding that a committee decides on the disinvestment.
The Government has not deferred the privatisation of BEML, the minister said in written reply to a query.
"The Government had given 'in-principle' approval for strategic disinvestment of BEML Ltd. to the extent of 26 pc out of the Government shareholding of 54.03 per cent with transfer of management control to strategic buyer," Singh said.
The Minister said disinvestment helps to improve management efficiency through professional competence and also allows the government to focus on its core functions instead of non-core sectors.
"Government of India is promoting Indian manufacturing companies in the defence sector and this disinvestment is being done while keeping this aspect in mind," the minister said when some opposition members alleged that the government is selling out profitable defence PSUs.
Congress leader A K Antony, a former defence minister, said defence PSUs were started after carefully studying national security and national interests.
"Our former PMs from Jawaharlal Nehru onwards thought that whatever happens in any eventuality, our armed forces should not suffer and be dependent on foreign vendors. That is why these defence PSU were started and most defence PSUs are running profitably.