Gujarat Polls: Congress promises to regularise 15 lakh contractual, outsourced employees if elected

When asked if the Congress Party is attempting to counter the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by making such a pre-election promise, Patel stated that the public knows which party is capable of delivering.

Image credit: ANI

New Delhi: If the Congress is elected to power in Gujarat, it will provide regular government jobs to nearly 15 lakh youths who are currently working on contract or as outsourced staff in various state-run entities and departments. The announcement was made by the opposition party's state unit working president and MLA Himmatsinh Patel, a day after the Rajasthan Congress government approved rules to regularise contractual staff. Congress also promised that anyone who wants to legalise illegal structures would be able to do so for free. "The Rajasthan government's pro-people decision will benefit nearly 1.10 lakh youths." On the same lines, if elected to power in Gujarat, our party will regularise nearly 5 lakh contractual and 10 lakh outsourced workers. These youths are currently being exploited by the ruling BJP," Patel told reporters here. 

When asked if the Congress Party is attempting to counter the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by making such a pre-election promise, Patel stated that the public is well aware of which party is capable of delivering. "Other parties are making promises for the sake of making promises." "Congress has a long history of keeping promises and enacting pro-people policies and laws, such as MNREGA, mid-day meal, free education, and the right to food," Patel said, flanked by Gujarat Congress vice president Jitu Patel.

Notably, AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has promised to create 10 lakh government jobs in Gujarat if his party wins the Assembly elections in December. Jitu Patel stated that the new Congress government will not charge people who want to legalise their illegal construction. Gujarat's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government announced last week that it will implement an ordinance charging an "impact fee" to regularise unauthorised constructions in urban areas.