NITI to prepare roadmap to boost employment generation

NITI Aayog will soon come out with a roadmap to boost employment generation, which will include creating favourable regulatory system for special economic and coastal zones to improve ease of doing business.
The Aayog called a meeting of all stakeholders today, including trade unions and industry representatives, where a detailed presentation was made to compare various aspects of labour force in India and countries like China.
"The Aayog has already given a detailed presentation on employment generation in the country to the Prime Minister. NITI called the first meeting of the stakeholders today to know their views on issue. After more deliberations, a detailed roadmap will be chalked out for the purpose," a senior NITI Aayog official said.

The official also indicated that the Aayog is mulling having a different regulatory framework for special economic and coastal zones to attract investment and generate employment.
According to the official, unless government enhances ease of doing business, there would not be investments in the manufacturing sector which has the potential to generate a large number of jobs.
After the meeting, Indian National Trade Union Congress Vice President Ashok Singh said that the government cannot go for one-sided labour reforms which would only increase ease of doing business but deprive workers of their rights.

Singh said that besides improving ease of doing business, government should create infrastructure to increase skilled labour.

Citing an example, he said that China has five lakh industrial training centres whereas India has 11,000 such institutes to produce skilled labour.
All India Trade Union Congress Secretary D L Sachdev said, "It was the first meeting and they had made a presentation comparing situation of labour in various countries. We are expecting more deliberation on the issues, including labour reforms."
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh's General Secretary Virjesh Upadhyay, who also attended the meeting, said, "They have started discussion on ways to increase employment generation."
At the meeting, Dalit India Chamber of Commerce and Industry Founder Milind Kamble pitched for labour reforms to improve ease of doing business for attracting investment and increasing economic activity.

Trade unions have been opposing labour law amendments, saying that these will dilute workers' rights.