YSRCP members stage walkout over unemployment allowance issue

The YSR Congress today staged a walkout from the Andhra Pradesh Assembly protesting the government's "failure" to honour its promise of extending unemployment allowance to youths without jobs in the state. The Telugu Desam Party, ahead of the 2014 elections, promised to ensure at least one job for every household or pay Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per month to each unemployed youth. "Your election manifesto includes these promises, but you failed to honour it in the last two years even as youths were languishing without jobs," Leader of Opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy said, before leading the walkout. The issue came up during Question Hour, wherein the YSRC members asked the government how many youths were paid the promised unemployment allowance so far. State Youth Affairs and Labour Minister K Atchannaidu replied that no amount was paid so far. YSRC MLA G Srikanth Reddy criticised the government "for going back on its promise and deceiving the youth" who had pinned lots of hopes on TDP. "You promised to conduct District Selection Committee examination every year to recruit school teachers but failed," he said. The minister clarified that the DSC was stuck in a legal tangle and the government was trying to sort it out. Another YSRC MLA S V Mohan Reddy said lakhs of youths were waiting for the jobs promised by the TDP, but were now pushed into distress. "You promised job to every household but could not fulfil it," he regretted. Atchannaidu said it was not government jobs alone that the TDP promised. "It's not possible to provide government jobs for all. We are trying to create employment opportunities in the private sector as well. We are imparting skill development training to the youths to better their employment prospects," he said. Asserting that the TDP would honour its promise of extending unemployment allowance, Atchannaidu, however, said the government's main focus was on creating job opportunities for the youths. Not satisfied with the minister's response, the YSRC staged a walkout from the House.