Claiming that the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has not been implemented, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday said jobs can’t be created by focusing only on “large corporates”.
Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the ELI scheme with much fanfare, promising to provide employment to youth after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. But, the government has not even defined it yet, he alleged.
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Attacking the Prime Minister, he wrote on X, “It’s been nearly a year since announcing the scheme, the government hasn’t even defined it, and has returned the Rs 10,000 crore allotted to it. This shows how serious the Prime Minister is about unemployment.”
Gandhi asserted that jobs can’t be created by focusing only on large corporates, promoting cronies over fair-play businesses, prioritising assembly over production, and disregarding India’s indigenous skills.
He said the way to create crores of jobs is through large-scale investment in MSMEs, fair markets where competition can thrive, support for local production networks, and the youth being equipped with the right skills.
The Leader of Opposition also posed questions to the Prime Minister over the matter.
“The Prime Minister won’t agree with these ideas. But I must ask him directly: Prime Minister ji, you announced ELI with great showmanship – but where has this Rs 10,000 crore scheme disappeared? Have you abandoned our unemployed youth along with your promises? While you create new slogans every day, our youth are still waiting for real opportunities. What is your concrete plan to generate the crores of jobs India desperately needs, or is this just another jumla?” he questioned.
Gandhi, who has been accusing the Prime Minister of benefiting his rich friends, also asked him when he would shift his focus from them.
“When will you shift your focus from enriching Adani and your billionaire friends to ensuring that young people from marginalised communities have equal access to employment ?” the Leader of Opposition questioned.