Unemployment doubles in AP; Govt must reveal truth on '6.28 Lakh Jobs' Claim: YSRCP Monditoka Arun Kumar

Tadepalli (Andhra Pradesh) [India], March 5 (ANI): Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) MLC Monditoka Arun Kumar demanded that the coalition government explain in the Legislative Council the rising unemployment in Andhra Pradesh, citing central statistics that show a sharp increase in joblessness, the releases said.
Addressing the media at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, he said Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's claim of providing 6.28 lakh jobs in 20 months is false and inconsistent with statements made by other ministers.
According to a Ysrcp State office, Arun pointed out that while the Chief Minister claimed 6.28 lakh jobs were created, Minister Ramprasad stated that 5.77 lakh jobs were given in the council, while Minister Nara Lokesh claimed only 2 lakh jobs, raising serious questions about the credibility of the government's figures. If the government has indeed created 6.28 lakh jobs, Arun Kumar demanded that it place complete details in the public domain, including where the jobs were created and who benefited.
He said if such a large number of jobs had truly been generated, the state should have witnessed industrial growth, higher incomes, and increased GST revenues, but none of these indicators reflects such progress. Instead, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey conducted by the Central Government, the unemployment rate in Andhra Pradesh has risen to 8.2 per cent.
He recalled that during the YSRCP government, data released in December 2023 showed unemployment at only 4.1 per cent, indicating that joblessness had nearly doubled after the coalition government came to power.
Arun stated that while the government claims to have created jobs, it has simultaneously eliminated thousands of positions, including 18,000 jobs in liquor retail outlets and 1,800 jobs in AP FiberNet. He also criticised the government for failing to release the annual job calendar, which it had promised to issue every January, noting that no such calendar has been released even after 20 months in office.
Highlighting the YSRCP government's record, he said that between 2019 and 2024, 6.31 lakh permanent jobs were created across 27 departments, and along with MSME initiatives, about 40 lakh employment opportunities were generated. He added that the YSRCP government had placed complete details of the jobs created, including names, phone numbers, and Aadhaar details of beneficiaries, in the public domain to ensure transparency.
He also criticised the coalition government for failing to implement its promise of providing Rs 3,000 monthly unemployment allowance, pointing out that no funds have been allocated for the scheme in the budget so far. Arun Kumar expressed concern over the growing distress among unemployed youth, stating that one unemployed person is reportedly committing suicide every 18 hours in the state.
He further noted that during 2014-2019, the TDP government signed 1,761 MoUs promising 30 lakh jobs, but less than 8 per cent were implemented.
In contrast, the YSRCP government between 2019 and 2024 signed 394 MoUs targeting 6.16 lakh jobs and achieved 28 per cent implementation within the first year itself. Arun Kumar asserted that YSRCP will continue to fight on behalf of unemployed youth and will intensify its movement until the government implements the promised Rs 3,000 unemployment allowance. (ANI)