At the Delhi Job Fair, people blame PM Modi’s demonetisation, GST for unemployment

At the Job Fair in Delhi's Thyagraj Stadium, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal blamed GST and demonetisation for the adverse state of employment in India.

By: Siddhant Pandey |
November 7, 2017 6:52 pm

On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes. Now, a year after notebandi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has taken a potshot at the Prime Minister. During the opening ceremony of the 2017 Job Fair, organised by the Delhi Government on Tuesday, Kejriwal blamed the government’s implementation of Goods & Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation for the adverse state of employment in the country.

Addressing the crowd at the Job Fair in Thyagraj Stadium in Delhi, Kejriwal stated, “Even in regular times, finding employment is challenging. But today, in the times of GST and notebandi, considering the hardships our economy is facing, employment has reduced sharply.” He added, “Several factories have been shut down. Due to this, in Delhi’s Wazirpur Industrial Area and Bawana regions, employment has been reduced by 25-40%.”

Talking about GST, 28-year-old Sanjay Kumar, said, “He (Modi) has done what he’s done. But it has affected us, the less fortunate, a lot. There has been a rise in prices. I don’t have a job, how is it going to work?”

Another attendee, Govind Mohan (39) talked about how such decisions by the government have affected the state of employment in his organisation. He said, “It has definitely gotten worse. In my organisation, several people lost their jobs. Even I am at risk of losing my job, that’s why I’m looking for some upper-level job where I have a sense of security.” He added, “Modi ji had made a lot of promises, but standing true to one’s word is a different thing.”

(Photo Courtesy: Express Archives)

A construction manager Ramesh, 52, claimed that GST has put him out of a job. “Real estate has completely shut down. Due to GST, and the rules and regulations laid down by the government, the construction field has been crippled. Hence, civil engineers are suffering.” He added, “About 90% of the private sector construction field has flatlined.” Ramesh has been unemployed for about a month now.

The Job Fair brought 74 companies with collective 11,500 vacancies closer to potential employees in hopes of improving the state of employment.