Harsh Vardhan pats BJP for generating employment

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) Union Minister Harsh Vardhan, re-contesting from the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat, on Monday asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been contributing towards employment generation across the country through its constructive policies.

Slamming the opposition for alleging that employment opportunities shrunk drastically during the NDA rule, he said: "The BJP has been sincerely contributing towards employment generation in all parts of the country, including Delhi, as its approach is constructive and not destructive like the opportunistic opposition parties."

The minister said this while interacting with people during his voter outreach programmes in Paschim Vihar, Meera Bagh, Jain Colony, Rana Pratap Bagh and DESU Colony in his parliamentary constituency.

He said the BJP-headed three municipal corporations in Delhi took bold decisions to provide employment opportunities to small entrepreneurs and proprietors of household industries. "The decision was taken as per instructions of the BJP. They also agreed to the BJP's policy for online issuance and renewal of licences of household and service industries.

"The decision has been implemented, resulting in revival of 130 types of household industries after a 10-year gap, when setting up of such industries was banned," he said.

He said as per the decision, any industry of the 130 household industries were allowed over 50 per cent of area wherein 11 KW electricity connection was sanctioned and up to nine workers were allowed to be employed.

The BJP leader, facing a triangular contest from J.P. Agarwal of the Congress and Pankaj Gupta of the AAP, said, up to 2010 only 25 per cent ground floor area was allowed for setting up household industries.

Elections in Delhi are scheduled on May 12 in the sixth phase. The BJP had won all the seven seats in 2014 general elections.