Fulfilling one of the biggest election promises, Andhra Pradesh government, led by Jagan Mohan Reddy passed a bill on July 22 which reserves 75 percent jobs for locals. This move has made Andhra Pradesh the first state to introduce such a provision in the private sector. 

The Andhra assembly passed the Andhra Pradesh Employment of Local Candidates in Industries/Factories Act, 2019 on Monday.During his state-wide ‘Prajasankalp Padyatra’ before the election, YS Jagan had promised to provide jobs to locals.

“This will help the person who has lost their lands and their occupations for facilitating the establishment of industries and other unemployed youth by ensuring that their livelihoods are guaranteed and sustained,” says a statement by the government.

Focusing on the skill development with the help of companies in collaboration of government, the new bill in Andhra Pradesh states if the locals do not have the required skills, then the companies would have to train them first and then hire them. The bill also states that only the units that are listed in the first schedule of the Factories Act would be exempted after the government looks into each application and decides accordingly. 

Companies would have to comply with the provisions within three years of commencement of the Act and would also have to provide quarterly reports about local appointments to a nodal agency. 

A similar demand of reservation of jobs exists in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat as well, but has not been implemented yet. 

Kamal Nath, CM of Madhya Pradesh, on July 9 said that his government would reserve up to 70 percent of jobs for the local youth. He had triggered a row soon after taking oath as Madhya Pradesh CM by blaming people from neighbouring Bihar and Uttar Pradesh of taking away the opportunities of locals.

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