...Vows to eliminate unemployment in 5 years

NEW DELHI: AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that if re-elected, his govt would work on generating job opportunities and would eliminate unemployment from Delhi in the next five years. The former Delhi CM claimed that AAP govt managed to create 12 lakh job opportunities during the Covid pandemic.

"My top priority will be to provide employment to our youths. Our team is drafting a detailed plan to address the issue of unemployment," Kejriwal said in a video message. "We have the capability to fix this issue. All we need is your trust and your support," he added.

Highlighting his party's track record, Kejriwal claimed that the AAP dispensation in Punjab provided 48,000 govt jobs in less than two years and facilitated over three lakh private-sector jobs for youths. "We know how to create employment and our intentions are honest. With people's support, we will eliminate unemployment from Delhi in the next five years," he asserted.

The polling in Delhi assembly elections is scheduled for Feb 5, with results to be declared on Feb 8. AAP is in pursuit of a third consecutive term in the city, but it faces a tight contest from BJP. The former Delhi CM said he travelled across Delhi for election campaigning and found that despite being educated, the youth was sitting at home, searching for jobs. He added that his team working on the issue of job creation was "highly educated, committed, and patriotic".

Questioning the announcement, a senior Congress functionary said AAP and its leaders could not be trusted on the issue of providing employment. He alleged that AAP govt came out with the Rozgar Budget in 2022 and promised 20 lakh jobs in the next five years through different projects, but not one came to fruition.

"People should ask Kejriwal what happened to the announcement of the redevelopment of popular retail markets, Dilli shopping festival, food truck policy, cloud kitchens, redevelopment of food hubs, and redevelopment of non-conforming notified industrial areas, through which he claimed that jobs will be generated," the Congress functionary added.

"You will not hear him talk about the promises of setting up an electronic city, developing Dilli Bazaar portal and Rozgar Bazaar portal, because his govt never made any effort to develop them and the plans only remained on paper," he said.