Pawar says banning currency
has affected employment sector
Blames Parrikar for bringing mining to a halt
THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
The BJP manifesto has had to focus on jobs because Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetization has resulted in large-scale loss of jobs and a severe jolt to the economy, Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar said.
Speaking at a press conference, Pawar hit out at Modi for causing “severe damage to the Indian economy.” "There was a commitment from the highest level saying ‘Give me 50 days!’ and so people were saying ‘It’s a major decision, the person happens to be the prime minister, so why not give him 50 days, let’s wait.’ So everyone was waiting. But after completion of that, nothing happened,” Pawar said.
“In fact that one decision of banning currency has affected the employment sector severly,” Pawar said, adding that this year the attendance for the MGNREGA employment guarantee scheme had doubled because labour across the country had lost their jobs due to demonetization.
“That clearly established that a sizeable number pf people have lost jobs and as result they they are going for the employment guarantee. Now L&T (Larsen and Toubro) is one of the major companies in India in construction and engineering. They have discontinued 21,000 of their labourers. You see one company is sending 21,000 workforce out of job and it’s not only L&T there are many companies especially in the construction industry,” Pawar added.
He said that he would use the opportunity of an election year to create awareness on these issues.
“It is one of the reasons we are seeking an opportunity at this election and I hope the people of Goa will react on all these issues,” Pawar said.
He blamed former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for bringing mining to a halt in the state along with the support of the Congress government in the centre. “In fact we feel that the then chief minister Parrikar is responsible for this entire episode. He took certain decisions. I don’t know the reasons behind those but it was also followed by Congress minister in the union government Jayanthi Natarajan at that time. She was the union minister of environment. I had taken a delegation of many important people from Goa to the minister, but they also followed Parrikar’s line. And because of this we have seen for a few years the entire operations were closed,” Pawar added
BOX:
Former Union Agriculture Minister and NCP supremo ruled out a post poll tie up with the BJP and said his party would rather sit in the opposition than align with the BJP.
“We will not associate with BJP or these forces. That’s why whatever the number we will get and if the situation develops that we have to form the government, coalition our effort will be to associate with secular forces and from that angle we will go forward,” Pawar said.
“This time we are contesting about 16 seats. And our efforts are to raise certain state and national issues and take this opportunity and the election for that purpose,” Pawar said.
