Congress flays government for ‘jobless growth’

New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) The Congress on Friday said the BJP-led central government had planned a 'Modifest' on completing three years in office though its rule was marked by "jobless growth".

The party said the BJP had failed to "fulfil its election promise of creating two crore jobs annually".

Addressing a press conference here, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the government had planned a bash costing many thousand crores of rupees on its third anniversary, which was solely focused on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"All acronyms are focused on Modi-ji. So they are calling it 'Making of Developed India' and making all kinds of claims through an advertorial blitz," he said.

"Before coming to power, the BJP manifesto talked of creating two crore jobs every year, but on the ground we now have a 'pink slip' situation," Singhvi said.

He said that figures were showing an alarming "abysmal growth" and the "pink-slip season".

The COngress leader said that, according to Labour Bureau data, the growth in eight labour-intensive sectors of the Indian economy is a mere 1.1 per cent, which in number terms is just 1.35 lakh.

"If these are the 'acchhe din' (good days) (that the BJP promised), then obviously the government's definition of good days is those without jobs," the Congress leader quipped.

Reeling out comparative figures on employment generation during the earlier United Progressive Alliance government's term and the present NDA rule, Singhvi said: "In 2009-10, 8.9 lakh persons got jobs, while in 2010-11 it were 9.29 lakh."

"In 2013-14, only 4.21 lakh people got jobs, while the numbers fell to 1.35 lakh in 2016-17," he said.

As for celebrations in connection with the three years of the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre, Singhvi asked: "What are they celebrating?"

"Are they celebrating joblessness? Or are they celebrating jobless growth? What is the point of having 6-7 per cent growth," he asked.