CMIE data on unemployment in J&K far from truth, alleges NC

Denouncing the latest Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) rating showing drastic decrease in the unemployment rate in the Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference (NC) on Monday said the skewed data and tabulation is sightless of the ground situation in J&K.
Findings sans data to support its claim as there is no let up in unemployment of educated and skilled youth of Jammu and Kashmir, NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said in a statement here on Monday evening.
He said even a lay man at its wits end to ascertain the seemingly positive employment data emanating from CMIE, he said while expressing surprise at the findings. He said the figures claiming spur in job creation are based on defective data, and erroneous tabulation. But, he said it can’t change the basic facts about widespread unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The findings have hurt lakhs of our educated unemployed youth with flawed statistics which they believe are not even remotely reflective of the alarming unemployment rate in J&K. The figures have rubbed salt into the wounds of our educated and skilled youth who despite their academic prowess are yet to obtain employment.  The number of jobless youth registered with the Labour and Employment department has swelled over 94000. Official documents in our possession lay bare that 94,221 unemployed youth have voluntarily registered themselves with the district employment and career counseling centers till March 2020 across J&K. Let the government reveal what percentage of such youth got jobs, and what percentage of diploma holders, degree holders, draftsmen, skilled other than ITI and ITI trained out of the said poll got employed,” he asked.
Imran also asked what percentage of vacancies which the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) reply to a parliamentary panel on February 18 has alluded to got filled during months post august 5, 2019. “There are over 84,000 vacancies in J&K, as was widely publicized by the government. Will the government care to explain what percentage of such vacancies were filled up till now? Of these vacancies 22,078 vacancies pertain to Class IV employees, 54,375 to non-gazetted and 7,552 vacancies at gazetted level.  The entire process has been marred by indifference and official apathy,” he said.
On the contrary the months and weeks that followed the measures of August 5, 2019 have seen a drastic decrease of locals from the selection lists, the recently declared results of India Post in Jammu and Kashmir is a case in point. On other hands the existing avenues of our youth in J&K have also been closed for them. We saw how the security personnel for J&K bank were entirely outsourced.  The measure should not be seen in isolation. The out-sourcing of Safai Karam Charis in Hospitals and using services of Safai Karam Charis in south Kashmir districts is also a telling indictment of the anti J&K youth disposition of this government,” he said.
Far from proving jobs and living up to the commitment of  flooding J&K with investment and  providing jobs to our youth, the government is yet to regularize nearly 60,000 contractual need-based, daily wagers who despite  working at par with other regular  employees are discriminated against . So far their wages and other emoluments haven’t been increased not to ensure their speedy regularization.   Leave aside that the incumbent government with a stroke of a pen showed the door to thousands of Self Help Group (SHG) engineers. Is this what calls for employment generation? All this does not include the people involved with handcraft, horticulture, and tourism and industries sector. Their plight knows no limits. The government turned volte face towards them and failed to mitigate their issues on account of GST and subsequent clamp-down and COVID-19 induced lock down,” he added.
Imran alleged the Data is out to hoodwink people about Jammu and Kashmir. He said the reality on the ground debunks the claims of the government on providing jobs to youth.