Urban jobs scheme on the cards

Unorganised Sector body working on a Rs 10,000 crore plan

A Rs 10,000-crore urban employment scheme, covering 10 million families below the poverty line, is being worked out by the National Commission on the Unorganised Sector.

The scheme is looking at a one-time expenditure of Rs 10,000 per person: Rs 6,000 for wages and Rs 4,000 for skill development.

The scheme entails three months of general training followed by a six-month on-job training.

The commission has proposed to cover those aspects of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill that do not take it into account urban unemployment. The commission has already discussed the proposal with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

"The scheme will be an investment in human assets. It will make those who are trained more employable," Arjun Sengupta, chairman of the commission, said at a press conference here today.

The commission is also working on a social security programme that emphasises not only protection but also promotion.

The spending on social security today is less than 1 per cent of the gross domestic produce (GDP).

It is also considering a new labour legislation because its members say the present law leaves a lot to be desired. The fresh legislation is likely to be in place by the middle of next year.

The commission's first workable growth plan dealing with growth poles for the informal sector in the form of clusters and hubs, and the urban employment scheme, would be ready soon, Sengupta said.

The commission is also working out a plan to improve the institutional framework for providing micro-finance to the social security sector.

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Working solution

• The proposed scheme is looking at a one-time expenditure of Rs 10,000 per person: Rs 6,000 for wages and Rs 4,000 for skill development
• The scheme entails three months of general training followed by a six-month on-job training
• The unorganised sector commission has proposed to cover those aspects of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill that do not take it into account urban unemployment