Will reserve 75 per cent jobs for natives, promises NCP

Mumbai: The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday promised to reserve 75 per cent of government and private jobs to local people if elected to power.

“If our government comes to power after the Assembly election, sons of the soil will get 75 per cent reservation in private as well as the government jobs,” senior NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar announced in Solapur.

In a tweet, Mr Pawar said that he has been meeting many youngsters during his state-wide tour, who complain of lack of jobs in the state. Some of them told me that they are jobless despite being educated, he noted in his Marathi tweet.

Mr Pawar’s lofty announcement is likely to stir up state politics ahead of the Assembly election in October.  

The embattled NCP is already in the poll mode and has been interviewing candidates interested in fighting the upcoming state Assembly election.

Interestingly Mr Pawar’s announcement comes just days after Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy made it mandatory to reserve 75 per cent in jobs for local youths.  

Mr Reddy’s announcment has also inspired the Shiv Sena to bat for such a  law in the state.

Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority chairman Uday Samant on Wednesday said that he will be writing to the chief minister for a similar law.