Date:02/08/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/08/02/stories/2005080203800500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Dole for unemployed: Opposition stages walkout in Assembly

Special Correspondent

Reason sought for delay in fulfilling promise

BANGALORE: The entire Opposition staged a walkout in the Legislative Assembly on Monday demanding the Government to sanction the allowance of Rs. 500 a month to unemployed graduates promised by the Congress in its election manifesto.

Raising the issue during Question Hour, the Leader of the Opposition, B.S. Yediyurappa, and other members wanted to know from the Government the reason for the delay in implementing the promise.

The Government implemented promises made by the coalition partner, Janata Dal (S), by giving rice at Rs. 3 a kg to the poor, J.C. Madhuswamy (Janata Dal-U), K. Eshwarappa (BJP) and G.V. Sriram Reddy (CPI-M) said. Registration by unemployed youth at the employment exchanges had been stopped. The Government was not making efforts to provide employment to lakhs of graduates, they alleged and demanded the Chief Minister to announce allowance to unemployed youth in the House.

Funds

Dinesh Gundu Rao and Narendra Babu (Congress) urged the Government to allocate adequate funds in the next budget to provide allowance to the unemployed youth.

The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, intervened during the reply by the Minister of State for Labour, Tanveer Sait, and said the proposal involved financial implications and the Government would examine it.

A coordination committee comprising senior Ministers would be set up to look into the issue, he said.

The Government had been implementing the Common Minimum Programme of the coalition parties. On account of the changed political scenario after the poll, the promise had not been implemented, Mr. Dharam Singh said.

The Opposition members were dissatisfied with the reply and staged a walkout by raising slogans against the Government.

Agreement

Earlier, Mr. Tanveer Sait told M.T. Krishnappa (JD-S), that there was no proposal before the Government to provide allowance to the unemployed youth.

The employment exchanges would enter into an agreement with private firms and make efforts to provide jobs to the unemployed, he said.