Govt rules out unemployment allowance

NEW DELHI: The government on Friday ruled out giving unemployment allowance, citing paucity of funds but said it would introduce the National Employment Guarantee Bill in the ongoing session to tackle the problem of unemployment in rural areas.

Replying to a private member''s bill in the LS, moved by Basudeb Acharia (CPM), labour minister K Chandrashekar Rao said, “It is not possible to give unemployment allowance because the government is not in a position to pay and, therefore, it was bringing a bill guaranteeing employment.�