Anurag Singh Thakur, a senior BJP leader and Union Minister, criticized the opposition INDI Alliance on Wednesday, accusing them of spreading “misleading and hollow” allegations regarding insufficient job creation in the country as part of their “bogus propaganda” to garner votes in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.
Thakur supported his argument by referencing a recent report by the consultant group SKOCH, which indicates that 5.14 crore person-years of employment have been generated annually since 2014. This cumulative figure amounts to 51.4 crore person-years of employment over the decade leading up to 2024 since the Narendra Modi government assumed power.
“Thanks to the visionary, inclusive, and forward-looking policies and programs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the past decade has witnessed the creation of millions of sustainable jobs despite the global economic disruptions and downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he asserted. Thakur further highlighted that the SKOCH report, titled ‘Outcomes of ModiNomics: 2014-2024,’ has debunked the Opposition’s allegations as baseless propaganda.
Addressing other concerns raised by the opposition, Thakur noted that data-driven studies by international organizations like the IMF and World Bank demonstrate a significant reduction in absolute poverty numbers during the “Modi Decade” compared to the preceding “UPA Decade of Decay.”
He emphasized the role of various government schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Swachh Bharat Mission, Gram Sadak Yojana, Skill Development Scheme, PM Swanidhi, and PLI schemes in directly facilitating employment opportunities for citizens.
Thakur projected that “Modi 3.0” would usher in substantial changes and transformations, positioning India as the third-largest economy globally. Additionally, he highlighted employment data, citing figures such as 7.6 crore people enrolled in the EPFO from 2018 to 2024 and the issuance of around 30 crore e-shram cards.
He pointed out the increase in GST collections and foreign direct investment (FDI) over the years, attributing these trends to the growth of businesses and subsequent employment opportunities in the country. Thakur concluded that these statistics underscore the continuous decline in the unemployment rate under the Modi government’s tenure.
