RJD leader and chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav pledged 10 lakh of government jobs
Patna:
A day after Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar revealed what he called “Saath Nischay Part 2“, or the sequel to seven promises in the polls he made in the last Assembly elections, his challenger and RJD’s main ministerial face, Tejashwi Yadav, has made ten promises.
Among these are government jobs for thousands of unemployed youth; Jobs that, according to him, will be given to him at his first cabinet meeting, assuming he is elected.
“If RJD has the opportunity to form the government, at the first cabinet meeting, with the first signing, 10 lakh jobs will be given. This is not just a promise … These will be permanent government jobs,” he said.
Yadav, who made the announcement at a press conference in Patna today, said that more than 22 lakhs of young men and women had already signed up for his “bedojgari hatao“web portal. Of these, around 13 lakh had been registered through missed calls.
Tejashwi Yadav, who served as Nitish Kumar’s senior deputy minister from 2015 to 2017 (when the ruling Janata Dal United and the RJD were allies), also provided some data to suggest a way to address the unemployment crisis in the state.
“Bihar has a population of close to 12.5 million rupees. Therefore, Bihar needs 1.25 lakh of doctors and associated support staff. The health department needs 2.5 lakh of staff. There are 50,000 posts in the vacant police force, when the ratio between the police and the public is minimal, “he explained.
Yadav’s promises are sure to attract the unemployed in the state, but it is unclear if this will translate into votes. However, his critics have admitted that his presentation of facts and figures has taken them by surprise and could help persuade voters that he is serious.
Yesterday Nitish Kumar got down to business campaigning before the elections.
One of his seven pledges also discussed employment, but the Chief Minister was more sincere, acknowledging that it was not possible to provide government jobs for everyone.
However, he said each district would have “mega skill centers.”
He also said that girls who pass upper secondary exams would earn 25,000 rupees and an additional 50,000 rupees upon graduating from university, promises made in an effort to boost education levels among girls in the state.
Meanwhile, the newly appointed chairman of the BJP youth wing, Tejasvi Surya, criticized claims of an unemployment crisis in Bihar. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “created more job opportunities in Bihar than any other government.”
With contributions from ANI
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