Govt seeks 2nd view on job law

NEW DELHI: With the Left allies expressing concern over certain aspects of the proposed legislation promising at least 100 days employment to one person of every poor family, the UPA government has sought second opinion on the proposed law before bringing it in the winter session of Parliament.

"We have sought views of state governments, including West Bengal, which have raised objections so as to incorporate the necessary amendments when the Bill is moved in the winter session of Parliament," Rural Development Minister Raghuvans Prasad Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a two-day Conference of Project Directors of District Rural Development Agencies (DRDA) here on Monday.

He said the state governments need not have any apprehension concerning payment in case they are not able to fulfill the guarantee of providing employment under the proposed law.

To a question that the Left Front government of West Bengal had raised the legal aspect of the legislation and that they would not be able to meet the financial aspect, he said, "They have to provide employment and the financial aspect will be taken care of by the Central government."

The apprehension of the ruling Left Front in West Bengal is that floodgates of litigation would be opened because of the provision that a person might move the court if he or she failed to secure employment within the stipulated timeframe.

"The state government would only have to create the employment opportunity and the rest would be taken care of by the Centre," Singh said.

He said there cannot be any major opposition to the bill as it concerned the weaker sections of society and "The UPA government is committed to the uplift of those below the poverty line."

As promised in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the UPA government, the proposed legislation envisages that it is mandatory for the state government to pay daily wages as unemployment dole if it failed to provide employment within 15 days of receipt of a person''s application.

However, apprehensive of the legal guarantee for at least 100 days of employment, the Left parties felt that this and other provisions could create problems.

With the failure of a similar scheme in West Bengal because of lack of funds still fresh in its mind, the Left Front government considers it to be a liability to pay unemployment allowance and is wary of being dragged to court over any aberration in implementation.