Niraj Dubey
“According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi – Skill development, speed & scale are the three important aspects that are relevant to the present-day growth and development module.” Right from our familiar kitchen to an office or a service centre skill is necessary. Lack of skill causes hurdles and implies loss in every aspect. Even job of a carpenter or cobbler requires specific skills. A properly trained carpenter or cobbler solves the problem better and thus training imparts a value addition to the specific job.” Skilled workforce is necessary for economic development. Some sectors, such as agriculture, food processing, heavy industries, textiles, tourism, construction sector, healthcare, transportation and infrastructure etc. are vital for economy and engagement of skilled workforce in such sector is a major concern for any country.
At present, India holds third rank in GDP-(PPP). However with a population of approximately 1.3 billion, India secures only 133rd position in case of per capita GDP-(PPP). India has 0.8 billion employable population which is 60% of total population, but only 25% of the above figure has the required skills to get a job in the market. Employability can be increased only by skill development training. Thus it will enhance the economic growth of the country. However, in order to adjust and address more effectively to the opportunity and challenges better levels of skill is required. Therefore a lot of efforts are required to establish skill training institutes. But as far as skill development scenario in J&K is concerned, J&K State Government has failed to implement skill development initiatives effectively, students and training partners main sufferers. Against a target of providing skills to 10000 youth, the State Government has not trained even a single unemployed youth under National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) during the year 2014-15.
According to scheme 1 lakh students were to be trained under centrally sponsored Skill Development and Employment Programme throughout the country. State Govt also got the share to train 10000 candidates for the year 2014-15 through department of Housing and Urban Development but it has miserably failed to train any youth. Due to the failure and the incompetence of the State Government, Govt of India reduced the target to 1500 only. Various training institutes were empanelled for J&K to train 1500 candidates. This project aims to channel the aspirations of the youth in J&K, who are looking for opportunities for education and employment. An ‘Expert Group’ was set up by the Prime Minister in the context of a need to enhance the employment opportunities in the State of J&K and to formulate a jobs plan involving both the public and private sectors, especially for the youth. The Expert Group suggested a number of initiatives of which the scheme, “Skill, Empowerment and Employment in Jammu & Kashmir” (SEE J&K) is an important one.
SEE J&K Scheme is a placement linked, market driven skill training programme for J&K youth. MoRD will be the nodal agency to implement the Scheme in J&K. The Centrally Sponsored Swaran-jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) Scheme, which is currently implemented by MoRD. Due to lack of technical skills and proper exposure – J&K state youths are the worst sufferers and unable to handle any technical job efficiently which can be a source of income to meet his livelihood, and thus enables skilled workers from other states to grab this opportunity. Year 2000 saw a whole new class of immigrants in Jammu and Kashmir. The people from the eastern & central states of Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Chhattisgarh landed in search of jobs, mainly labour-oriented. Year 2000 saw the beginning while the subsequent years witnessed a sharp rise in the number of immigrants. The word “immigrants” is being used here for the fact that the settlers who came here to work, also expect permanent settlement.
Well, for the fact aforesaid, the expectations stand nullified as they will never get permanent citizenship in J&K. The reason being article 370. Without any official confirmation available, the number of immigrants in the state is estimated to be somewhere from .2 million to .6 million. The number of immigrants is soaring with the passing days. Influx of migrant work force in J&K express two major factors prompted them to travel to J&K State. First, the J & K employers are kind enough and never treat them as bonded labour, as in other states of the country. Secondly, wages were much higher than other states. The wages offered here in J&K are far better than those in their native states. Moreover minimum wages in the unorganized sectors such as masonry and small-scale construction activities is way less than that in J&K. Remember wages here are nearly 300% more than that in Bihar and Odisha. Kharif crop planting and cultivation has attracted a lot of immigrants. They come here for a couple of months, work, earn and go back to their states. While the other group working in the construction sector resides in rented houses or what the commons call as “chuggis”. So, primarily there are two segments, the “seasonal” and the “permanent”. The labour force in the state has been mostly replaced by these immigrant Biharis. When immigrants come in, they bring a different culture with them. The intermixing is important to live in harmony.
Fortunately in J&K, every religion is already present in appropriate proportion. Be it Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, or Christians, the immigrants get mixed up in the variety. The different customs, beliefs and festivals attract attention and participation from the locals. Participation is rare but attention is certain. With each passing day, the immigration from other states go on increasing tremendously, and thus causing an employment threat for the local labourers. Therefore, the resources fed to locals would be transferred to the immigrants ultimately. Therefore in our day to day life – we witness a huge dominancy of outside workers either in organised or un-organised sectors like: – Carpentering, Masonry, Building Constructions, Plumbering, Electrician, Gardening, Vegetable & Fruit sellers, House Maids and Street Hawkers. They are being preferred over local labourers, because of their skill, devotion and complete job commitment. Undoubtedly migrant workers from Bihar and other regions of the country have been instrumental in keeping alive the economy of Jammu and Kashmir State.
The constant increase in the migrant work force by placing strain on the basic amenities available in the state could lead to the trepidation of inhabitants as well as the local labour. Most of the times we observe the situation through single perspective that the money of the state goes outside the state, however we overlook the current growth in the constructions and developmental aspects, which are mainly because of migrant work force in the state. Hence in view of the above context, it is imperative for the J&K state government to look into this matter more seriously and subsequently frame a concrete policy to motivate and guide local labourers by organising skill awareness camps in both urban as well as rural areas that deals with the tenants and affairs related to them and simultaneously creating more employment avenues for the local labourers of the state.
(The author is a Sr. Faculty & Warden (GCET)-Jammu)
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