Jobs will come under new set-up in J&K, but can't guarantee it to 'unemployed politicians': Minister

Union minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday assured adequate job opportunities to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir but said that cannot be guaranteed to the "unemployed politicians who might have to remain jobless for a long time".

He said whether implementation of central laws or delimitation, everything is going to happen in Jammu and Kashmir and the people need to make the best use of it instead of getting "misguided by what somebody has been saying for his own consideration or motivation".

"All the apprehensions are be dispelled and we have not to get affected because every third day somebody gets up and says that what happened to the jobs... First, I believe that for any responsible government, it is not important to give salaried jobs because that is half justice to the youth. You have to create employability, making them capable of earning their livelihood instead of giving them a salaried jobs," Singh said at a function here.

He said the Centre has launched the Startup and the Standup India initiatives which have given "fruitful results" and referred to the "transformation" in the north eastern states of the country, where, he said, the exodus of youth in search of jobs was a huge problem.

"Today, what we are witnessing in North East is that the youth from outside like Gujarat and Karnataka are coming there and sometimes it worries me. We have to prepare our youth for jobs rather than give them those casual appointments on the eve of elections and fool them and ruin their careers," the minister said.

He said the job opportunities will come under the new set-up but "we cannot guarantee employment to the politicians who might have to remain unemployed for a long time. These unemployed politicians have much more concern for employment".

Similarly, all the acts will be there but it has to happen one time because the Union Territory is being managed by the Home Ministry which is already hard pressed, he said.

The minister said there is talk of delimitation not happening. "The delimitation (to redraw assembly constituencies) will take place but the politicians who are showing concern should be suggested that instead they should worry as their constituency might get declared reserved (after delimitation). I think that is the reason for their concern."