Telangana budget to focus on jobs

Hyderabad: After welfare and agriculture, employment will take the centre-stage in the budget 2018-19 to be presented by Telangana state government in the budget session of the Assembly in March this year.

The government will unveil a road map to fill all vacancies in the government sector and create job opportunities to skilled work force in the industries coming up in the state next year. Introduction of new community-wise self-employment schemes are also under active consideration.

Considering the inflow of investments in the state on account of the industry-friendly policy TS-iPASS, the government has already created Telangana Academy of Skill and Knowledge (TASK) to provide skill development among students and bring synergy among institutions of the government, industry and academia with the objective of offering quality human resources and services to the industry.

Top officials in the government told The Hans India that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is holding a series of meeting with important departments in identifying jobs in the government as well as in private sector.

The government has already sanctioned nearly 40,000 jobs in police, health, agriculture, education and all welfare departments recently. As many as 30,000 posts in different departments have already been filled in the last three years.

State Finance department in consultation with all departments is identifying another 50,000 jobs in the government sector which include regularisation of nearly 15,000 contract employees. “Apparently, keeping an eye on youth for their support to the TRS which is indispensable for the party to win the elections in 2019, the Chief Minister is determined to redeem his promise of creation of one lakh jobs after he assumed office in 2014. Towards this end, the government has accorded top priority after welfare and agriculture in the new budget to be presented by the State Finance Minister E Rajendar in the Assembly,” one top official said.

At present, the state government is spending nearly Rs 3,000 crore per month for 3.5 lakh employees for payment of their salaries and pensions. The expenditure to be incurred on salaries will jump by at least 30 per cent with huge recruitment and the introduction of the first PRC (Pay Revision Commission) from the new financial year. The welfare of the employees will also be given importance in the budget proposals.

The official said that the government will explain its efforts in the budget in creating more jobs in private sector by providing skill development to the aspirants and catering to the needs of the industry. The demand for work force from the IT companies and new manufacturing units has increased in the recent years in Telangana.

In addition to this, state is also committed to encourage self-employment among educated unemployed youth. Huge allocations are being made under self-employment schemes offered by social welfare, SC, ST, BC and minority welfare departments. "The government is likely to announce community-wise new self-employment schemes and encourage youth to pursue their traditional occupations like dairy farming, weaving, sheep breeding and so on in the new budget," the official said.