Kamal Nath Govt Offers Rs 5,000 Stipend To Unemployed In Madhya Pradesh

The Kamal Nath-led government in Madhya Pradesh is launching a revised version of its Yuva Swabhiman Yojana (YSY), a scheme for the unemployed, with an increased monthly stipend and promise of 365 working days.

The scheme was a part of Congress' manifesto and is a flagship programme of the present government. It was launched on January 31, 2019, promising 100 days of employment every year for all economically backward urban youth with a monthly stipend of Rs 4,000.

However, the government has now decided to increase the monthly stipend to Rs 5,000 and the days of employment will also be increased to 365 days. The revised version of YSY scheme will be launched on February 1 by the state Chief Minister, Kamal Nath.

The decision comes just about a week after the state chief minister mentioned about MP's potential before investors and highlighted the need to mobilize economy and create jobs at the World Economic Forum meet at Davos.

"We have decided to relaunch the scheme for unemployed youths after a year. The stipend has been hiked by Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 per month. On the lines of MNREGS, the government is ready to extend the guarantee of 100 workdays to 365 days of temporary employment a year," state public relations minister, PC Sharma told The Times Of India.

The government's decision comes after an annual review of the scheme, where the youth demanded a better stipend and increased working days. After the feedback, the government decided to revise the existing scheme in a new avatar.

The scheme now aims at generating 25,000 new jobs at an expense of Rs 200 crore, Sharma said, adding, that the urban development department has prepared a plan to select registered unemployed youths for temporary jobs as per their qualification and provide them with 10 days of training.

The government also aims at making a special allocation in the state budget to make it more effective and practical, Sharma said.

This scheme, however, has been referred to as 'futile' by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Commenting on the scheme, BJP MLA Vishwas Sarang said that the decision itself exposes the Congress government's failure in fulfilling its promises. "Not a single jobless youth was given stipend or a new job. This is mere face-saving. Congress should come clear with previous records of generating employment," Sarang said.

The government of Madhya Pradesh had also introduced a new law ensuring reservation of upto 70% in private-sector jobs for MP domiciles.

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