Punjab’s unemployed youths are entitled to Rs 5 & Rs 7 allowance per day, states RTI

He said that the allowance is the same across all the districts of the state.

While disabled (visually disabled, speech and hearing impaired) Undergraduates and graduates are entitled to Rs 450 and Rs. 600 per month, respectively.

Further, physically disabled undergraduates are given Rs 225 per month and graduates and post-graduates are given Rs 300 per month.

According to the information within the district, there are a total of 29,997 registered unemployed in the district including 12,376 Schedule caste/ST, 179 BC& OBC, and 17,442 general categories. But unemployment allowance is not being given to anyone.

Allowance is given after 3 years and at the end of the first quarter after registration. While disabled are entitled to the allowance first quarter after one year of registration.

But currently, no unemployed person in the district is getting an unemployment allowance, said Dhiman.

Dhiman said that it is a shame for the government which is making tall claims but giving just Rs. 5 and 7 unemployed allowances for its youth while in the past three decades, the salaries and perks of political leaders have increased severalfold.

“What is worst is that the department is registering to matriculate as minimum educational qualification while the minimum educational qualification in the country is 8th pass who are entitled to get registered for getting unemployment allowance,” said Dhiman, adding that our government are highly critical of the young lot leaving the state on study basis and boasting that they (government) will reverse the trend and make foreigners work here which is highly ridiculous when the state government is not able to give even unemployment allowance of Rs. 150 per month.

Taking a jibe at the Employment office, he said that it has been working with 50% of staff as posts from peon to Accounts Clerk, Steno, Typist, Junior Assistant, Statistical Assistant Employment Generation and Training Officers are lying vacant for a long time.

He said that it is a shame that not a single speaker in the Punjab Legislative Assembly spoke in favour of the unemployed and did not talk about increasing the unemployment allowance.

In this era of high inflation, what will be available at Rs. 150 per month? asks he.

“Due to the shallow policies, the educated and unemployed people of the country are going to foreign countries. The parents of the children are sending them abroad,” said he, adding that the unemployed allowance should be Rs. 5000 per month and it should be given every month to the people registered under it.

A senior officer in the Employment office Punjab revealed that the allowance has not been increased since decades in the state and in the majority of cases, it is not being given to the registered.