Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday, September 19, shared data on employment generation in the state during the past three years since the YSRCP government came to power and said that an aggregate of 6.16 lakh jobs was generated in three years. On the contrary, he claimed that the employment generation was only 34,108 jobs during the previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government, from 2014 to 2019. During a short discussion in the Assembly on industries and investments, CM Jagan said that there were 3,97,128 jobs in the state as of May 2019. Under the YSRCP government, he claimed that 2,06,638 permanent jobs, 37,908 contract jobs and 3,71,777 outsourcing and other jobs were created, taking the total number of jobs to 6,16,323.
The maximum number of these 6.16 lakh jobs were in the Gram Volunteers/Ward Volunteers and Village Secretariats/Ward Secretariats department, accounting for 1,25,110 regular and 2,60,867 outsourcing/other jobs – a total of 3,85,977 jobs. The second highest number of jobs created was under the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) – 51,387 regular and 7,001 outsourcing/other jobs, taking the total to 58,388 jobs. The Health, Medical & Family Welfare had the third highest number with a total of 40,676 jobs – 16,880 regular, 20,502 contract, and 3,294 outsourcing/other jobs.
On the other hand, Jagan said his government has also been encouraging self-employment through various schemes, through which annual assistance of Rs 10,000 to Rs 24,000 is being provided to various groups – auto and taxi drivers with their own vehicles, Rajakas, Tailors & Nayee Brahmins, handloom weavers, fisherfolk (for the annual two-month ban period on fishing by mechanised boats) and self-employed women. In total, the state government has spent Rs 19,129.05 crore so far towards encouraging self-employment, Jagan said.
CM Jagan also said that the investments in the state have been growing, and noted that Andhra Pradesh has competed with 17 states to get the Bulk Drugs Park at Kakinada, which is expected to provide jobs to around 35,000 people. He said that Andhra Pradesh has been rapidly growing in the industrial sector and achieved a growth rate of 11.74%, apart from generating employment and encouraging self-employment. He said that in the past three years, 99 industries have picked up steam in the state with an investment of Rs 46,280 crore, providing jobs to 62,541 people. Jagan said around 40,000 more jobs would be generated through four Union government Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) that would soon be coming up. Discussions for setting up of 10 major industries are underway, as well as four Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) like HPCL (Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited), ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) and BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited), he said.
The state has been doing well in Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), Jagan said. “This apart, we have promoted Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by giving incentives as this sector alone provides 12 lakh jobs. We have been encouraging major industries through incentives and giving priority to self-help groups under various schemes,” he added. The YSR Electronic Manufacturing Cluster, Mega Industrial Hub coming at Kopparthi and the Steel Plant at Jammalamadugu among others will provide jobs to locals, and the state is getting the youth job-ready through skill development, he said.