New Delhi, Dec 6 – Taking a jibe at the Modi government, Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday asked the government as to why the ‘scintillating’ economic growth was not reflecting on the ground in terms of jobs and income.
“We are a large economy; we are growing at the fastest rate in the world; we are innovative; we have the largest FDI coming into the country. But why is it not seen on the ground? .. Why is it not seen in the inflation numbers and the unemployment numbers?” he asked while participating in the short-duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the economic situation in the country.
Taking a swipe further, he said that BJP was mercifully not talking about creating 2 crore jobs every year.
“Thank you for the small mercies that you are not making these tall claims. That’s one of the election jumlas. I didn’t know the word ‘jumla’ until I first heard it from the Hon’ble Home Minister,” Chidambaram said.
Focussing on the issue of unemployment, the former Finance Minister said that the worker population rate in this country is 46% which means the number of workers to the population is 46.
“It’s quite low but let’s take it as acceptable given the various circumstances of the country. Of the worker population, male worker population is 69% but the female worker population is only 22%. Of the worker population, less than 50% actually work. So if you apply 50% on 46 it effectively means only that 23% of the people work.
This has been more or less constant in the last nine and half years of the BJP government. Now why I ask (this)? If we have the scintillating growth why is this number not improving,” Chidambaram said.
As he attacked the government he also took aim at BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi who spoke before him and highlighted the achievements of the government on various economic parameters.
“After listening to the learned professor of Lucknow university I am sure (and) all of us are convinced that Amrit Kaal has begun and going by the number of times he was applauded by the Treasury benches , I think he should be in line of a ministership now. I wish him well,” Chidambaram said.
The senior Congress leader said that most employment in the country is self-employment.
“Regular wage employment has declined from 24% to 21%. Apart from the quantity, quality of the work is also poor. Why this 10-year splendid period is not reflecting in employment,” he continued his attack.
The former Unionn Minister said that the retail inflation rate in the country was still above the RBI’s tolerance limit. He noted that as many as 23 crore people of India are poor when the poverty bar is very low and highlighted the growing inequality in the society.
