Minister Yadav Admits Government Fails to Provide Jobs for Youth

Kathmandu. Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, Ramji Yadav, has admitted that the government has not been able to provide employment as per the expectations of Gen Z youth. 

Speaking at a meeting of the Industry, Commerce and Labour and Consumer Interest Committee on Thursday, Minister Yadav said that although injured youth from the protests come to the ministry seeking employment, they have to be sent back with assurances. 

He stated that although thousands of youth visit the ministry daily in search of employment, they do not have concrete plans or sufficient budget. According to Minister Yadav, the main responsibility of the Ministry of Labour is not to directly create employment, but rather to develop skills, facilitate placements, and connect workers with employers. 

He said that because the word 'Employment' is attached to the name of the ministry, youth flock to it with the hope of finding jobs. "I feel very sad seeing the condition of the injured youth from the Gen Z group; some have lost hands, some have lost legs, some have been shot," said Minister Yadav, "They are looking for employment, but so far we have not been able to give them anything beyond assurances." 

He clarified that although a plan to provide skill-based training to the injured is included in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, it does not guarantee employment.

At the meeting, Minister Yadav expressed serious dissatisfaction over the heavy cut in the budget for the National Employment Program. He informed that this program, which previously had a budget of 13 billion rupees, has been limited to only 1.20 billion rupees for the upcoming fiscal year. 

He claimed that with this budget, employment can be provided to a maximum of 17,000 people across the country for 100 days. "When 1 million rupees are given to a rural municipality, it can provide only 6 people with 100 days of work," the minister said, "With this budget, whom will the local level provide employment to? I myself am not satisfied with this situation." 

Due to the reduction in the budget ceiling, the total budget of the ministry for the upcoming year is also likely to shrink. The ministry's budget, which was 4.28 billion rupees in the current fiscal year, is expected to be limited to 2.60 billion rupees next year. Out of this, only 250 million rupees have been allocated for capital expenditure. 

Minister Yadav suggested that the National Employment Program should now be transformed into a 'National Skills Program'. He stated that the ministry is trying to find employment opportunities through skill-based training in coordination with the private sector, but reiterated that the lack of budget is the main challenge.