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The Haryana Assembly on Thursday, November 5, passed a bill to provide 75 per cent reservation in the private sector jobs in the state for the residents, fulfilling an election promise made by ruling alliance partner Jannayak Janta Party (JJP).
Once the Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2020 clears the due process and becomes a law, it would ensure the employment provision for local people in private-sector jobs that offer a salary less than ₹50,000 a month.
It would apply to companies, societies, trusts, limited liability partnership firms, partnership firms operating across the state, according to The New Indian Express.
The bill stated that only 10 per cent of the recruitment by an enterprise needed to be from the district in which it was situated and the rest could be filled from other districts in Haryana. It further added that the reservation policy would apply for ten years.
"Every employer shall employ 75 per cent of the local candidates with respect to such posts where the gross monthly salary or wages are not more than ₹50,000 or as notified by the government, from time to time. Provided that the local candidates may be from any district of the State, but the employer may, at his option, restrict the employment of local candidates from any district to 10 per cent of the total number of local candidates," said the bill.
It defined local candidates as those domiciled in the state. For domicile status, it specified that a person should be born in Haryana or have lived there for at least 15 years.
The bill also mentioned the setting up of a designated portal where the local candidates and the employers would be registered, specifying that failure to register on the portal, for a local candidate, would result in failure to stand eligible for the employment opportunity.
However, taking a strong stance against the bill, JJP legislator Ram Kumar Gautam criticised the step calling it a "ridiculous legislation."
"You can make any number of laws. But the fact is that to harvest crops, even today we get people from Bihar and other states. Rather, people from Haryana spend six months in a year, protesting and destroying industry. Why do you want to make such laws? This entire country is ours. If any brother comes from any other state to work, how can you stop him. Tomorrow, if our children go to another state, they will not be allowed to work there. Where will our children go in that case? I do not agree with it at all," Gautam said addressing the House.
Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda opposed the proposal to the option with companies to recruit only 10 per cent of their employees from one district. This was not in the state's interest, according to the minister.
"There is already a similar clause that was brought in during our tenure. HSIIDC does not give clearance to any industry unless the industry gives an affidavit that it will employ people from Haryana. How can another Bill be brought unless we remove that clause from HSIIDC? How will the government do that? I strongly object to this 10 per cent restriction… the government should make it overall 75 per cent reservation, and remove the 10 per cent per district clause," he said.
Addressing the raised concern, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that there was a lack of assessment and proper monitoring during the government's tenure since it was not a legislative clause.
"We get two things from industry – revenue and employment. Today, because of GST, we do not get any revenue except for value addition. GST goes to the place where the product is consumed. Charm of revenue from industry is not there anymore. There is only one charm left… due to industry, people of our state shall get employment. There are 22 districts, 10 per cent from each district. It will add to 220 per cent," he said.
A statement highlighting the objectives of the bill stated that once made a law, it will encourage the private employers in the state to lend a hand in boosting local employment. It pointed out that a large influx of migrant workers from across the country has been impacting the local infrastructure, resources and quality of life.
"Therefore giving preference to local candidates in low-paid jobs is socially, economically and environmentally desirable and any such preference would be in the interest of the general public," added the statement.
Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala introduced the bill in the House when the assembly began the second part of its monsoon session.
"Today our promise to lakhs of youth of Haryana has been fulfilled and now Haryanvi youth will have 75 per cent of jobs in the private sector," he said.
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