Haryana will recruit 10,000 workers for Israel, opposition targets BJP

Battling high unemployment rate, the Haryana government has issued an advertisement for the recruitment of 10,000 construction workers. Who will be sent to Israel. Israel, a country that has been at war with Hamas for more than two months, is facing a severe shortage of workers. The ad has been criticized by both some activists and the opposition, who have criticized the state for considering sending Indians to a “warzone”. It was posted just a day after the Ministry of External Affairs informed Parliament that no discussions have been held with Israel regarding the possible replacement of Palestinian construction workers with Indians.

However, the Haryana government has defended the move, saying that its aim was to ensure that travel agents cannot loot people by offering them jobs in other countries and that there would be an option for workers to go to Israel if they are not comfortable doing so. There is no obligation. Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7 have killed at least 19,600 people – most of them women and children, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

Employment dilemma

This advertisement, published in some newspapers on December 15, was issued by the state public sector company Haryana Skill Employment Corporation. This comes at a time when Haryana has the highest unemployment rate in the country, according to Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) data, and Israel faces an acute shortage of construction workers with nearly 90,000 work permits cancelled. Used to be.

The unemployment rate in Haryana was 2.9 percent in 2013-14 (when Congress was in power), which increased to 9 percent in 2021-22. Till July 31, 2023, 5.44 lakh unemployed youth have been registered in employment offices in the state. CMIE data released in January this year showed that the unemployment rate in Haryana is the highest in India at 37.4 percent, while the national unemployment rate is 8.3 percent. BJP Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has rejected the CMIE data and cited recruitments in the Staff Selection Commission and Haryana Public Service Commission, among others, to strengthen his claims of providing employment.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court gave the order last month, which struck down a 2020 law providing 75% reservation in private jobs to Haryana residents. Khattar government is also being criticized for not providing employment to the youth.

‘Give us jobs here’

A laborer from Kurukshetra said that the government should give them jobs in India. Chandan, a construction worker, said, “Israel is involved in the war, why is the government sending us there? The government keeps saying that our country is becoming rich.” The opposition has also targeted the BJP-led government in Haryana. Congress MLA Neeraj Sharma said, “Everyone knows that Israel is a war zone, the state government should give jobs to our youth in Haryana only.”

Government opinion

The Haryana government has said that its aim is to stop fraud and people will not have to go to Israel if they do not want to. Haryana Education Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar said, “This is a unique initiative of the government, which will ensure that travel agents cannot rob people. We receive complaints about this every day. There is no compulsion to visit Israel “It’s only for those who want to go.”

Responding to a question by Congress MP KC Venugopal, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan had told the Rajya Sabha on December 14 that the Center has not had any discussions with Israel regarding possible replacement of Palestinian laborers with Indian workers. Responding to a question by Congress MP KC Venugopal, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan had told the Rajya Sabha on December 14 that the Center has not had any discussions with Israel regarding possible replacement of Palestinian laborers with Indian workers.