MoS Gangwar stirs massive controversy with "North Indians lack qualifications" remark

New Delhi, Sep 15: Union labour minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar has stirred a hornet's nest with his comment that there is no job crisis, in fact, recruiters visiting North India complain of lack of "quality people" to fill vacancies.

Hitting back, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused Gangwar of insulting north Indians. She said "you want to escape by insulting North Indians". The youths are looking towards the government hoping that it will do something good for them, she added.

Minister of State for Labour and Employment (Independent Charge) Gangwar had on Saturday told reporters in Bareilly that there was no dearth of employment in the country, but the recruiters visiting North India complain of dearth of "quality people" to fill vacancies in their firms.

His comments came amid criticism of the government over India's unemployment rate rising to a 45-year high of 6.1 per cent in 2017-18, data of which was released in May.

"The issue of employment keep figuring in newspapers these days. I am handling the same ministry for labour and employment and examine the issue daily. I have understood the problem," he said.

"Recruiters who visit north India complain of facing dearth of quality people for the posts that they need to fill. (Hamaare Uttar Bharat mein jo log bhi recruitment karne aate hai, woh iss baat kaa sawaal kar dete hai ki jis pad ke liye hum rakh rahe hai, us quality kaa vyakti humko kam miltaa hai)," the minister had observed.

Gandhi on Sunday reacted strongly to the minister's statement. "Mr Minister, it has been more than five years for your government. There is no job creation. Whatever jobs were there, they have been snatched due to the economic slowdown brought by the government. You want to escape by insulting North Indians," said the Congress leader in her tweet.

Gangwar's remark is also in sharp contrast to the government's jobs report in May that suggested that the country's unemployment was at a four-decade high.

On Saturday, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced another set of measures to boost the economy that included over Rs 50,000 crore package for exports and creation of a Rs 20,000 crore fund for unfinished real estate projects to complete about 3.5 lakh dwelling units in affordable and middle income segments.