BJP govt has no answers on Maharashtra's rising unemployment: Chidambaram

In a news conference held in Mumbai, former Union minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram voiced concerns over the rising unemployment rate and poverty in Maharashtra.

He urged the people to think carefully before voting for their government.

Addressing the media, Chidambaram said, "The Maharashtra government is not in control. I appeal to the people to think before voting and electing their government. The BJP government has no answers as to why Maharashtra is suffering from rising unemployment issues. 17.4 percent of the total population of Maharashtra is below the poverty line. One-fourth of Marathas are below the poverty line. The unemployment rate in the state is currently 10. 8 per cent and most Maharashtrians are self-employed rather than working in industries. In fact, the number of salaried employees has also dropped down to 31 per cent."

 

The former Union minister also pointed out the overwhelming number of applicants for government jobs, saying, " 18,300 constables or drivers were recruited by the Mumbai Police or Maharashtra Police--just 18,300 posts. Eleven lakh people applied. Similarly, for 4,600 Talati posts, which are Group C village-level officer positions, there were 11 lakh applicants."

Further, Chidambaram expressed concern about the declining industrial and service sectors in Maharashtra. He stated, "Maharashtra has been the leading state for services and has ranked at the top in agriculture. The state has also remained the machine capital of India. However, I am concerned about the decline of Maharashtra in the industrial and service sectors. Agriculture in Maharashtra is in deep distress. In the last 8-10 years, progress has been slow. The Maharashtra government has been helmed by the BJP, and this decline has been visible during its rule."

Talking about the drop in GDP and other sectors from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024, Chidambaram said, "Taking a look at the growth from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024, the state GDP growth rate has declined from 9.4 percent to 7.6 percent. The service growth rate has declined from 13 percent to 8.8 percent. Transport, trade, and communications sector growth has dropped from 13 percent to 6.6 percent. Construction, which is a key activity, has fallen from 14.5 percent to 6.2 percent."

He further added, "Maharashtra's economy is on the slide, and the state government lives on borrowed money. They are borrowing and spending, but there are no results on the ground. In fact, capital expenditure has been stagnant at Rs85,000 crore. If they borrow but don't invest in capital expenditure, growth continues to decline. This decline has to be addressed, and it cannot be resolved by those who caused it. I don't think I need to say any more about the state of the economy."

Chidambaram also highlighted the migration of major industries to Gujarat, stating, "The major industries that had signed contracts on setting up their plants in Maharashtra have now moved to Gujarat, which has led to an increase in unemployment. Our major industries like Tata Airbus Transport aircraft and Vedanta Foxconn have moved to Gujarat.