Congress Criticizes Government's Cutbacks on Urban Employment Schemes

The Congress party has accused the government of not taking urban employment generation seriously, citing significant funding cuts to key programs like the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission and the National Career Service. The funding reductions have raised concerns over the government's commitment to tackling urban employment issues.

The Congress party has sharply criticized the government for its inadequate approach towards urban employment generation, pointing to significant budget cuts in major schemes. Pawan Khera, head of Congress' media and publicity department, took to social media to highlight these concerns, sharing a government reply from the Rajya Sabha.

According to Khera, the allocation for the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) has been reduced by over 62%, down from Rs 795 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 300 crore in 2024-25. Similarly, the National Career Service (NCS) scheme has seen a 26.94% decrease in funding, from Rs 79.39 crore to Rs 58 crore during the same period.

Khera accused the ruling BJP of using rhetoric to mask the detrimental cuts, urging the public to scrutinize the details of these policies. He insisted that these financial allocations reflect the government's lack of seriousness in addressing the critical issue of urban employment.

(With inputs from agencies.)