The Left Democratic Front’s promise of 45 lakh jobs in the next five years is likely to remain a non-starter if the Budget for 2021-2022 presented by Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal are any indication. West Asia, the El Dorado of all Malayalees, has shut its doors once and forever, according to a leading entrepreneur in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “No worthwhile proposals or moves to generate at least a lakh jobs are seen in the budget proposals. The LDF has to generate nine million jobs per year for the next five years to fulfil the promise it made it to the people of Kerala at the time of the Legislative Assembly election,” said Hari Kartha, economist-turned-political analyst based in Thiruvananthapuram.
He said he was shocked over the indifference of the Government towards the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in the State, the biggest employment provider. “No major industrial houses have set up shops in Kerala during the last ten years while neighbouring States of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are witnessing massive industrialisation drive,” said Kartha.
There are 1.5 lakhs MSME units in Kerala that employ 15 lakh workers, according to M Khalid, president, Kerala State Small Industries Association. “But most of them have downed their shutters since 2020 because of the corona virus. Unless the State and Central Government come out with rejuvenation packages the MSME units are in for major trouble, “ said Khalid.
He said though the Kerala Government has set apart Rs 6,550 crore for reviving the MSME, it is mere peanuts and will not offer the permanent solution the sector is looking for. “The MSME units are the only sector which could address the unemployment problem faced by the State. No major industries would come to the State for a host of reasons,” said Khalid.
Rajesh Narayanan, who heads an engineering and IT company having its head quarters in Dubai told The Pioneer that the last two years have seen more than a million Malayalee expatriates returning back to the home state not to come back to the dream world. “Localisation has brought down the number of job opportunities in West Asia. The Covid-19, which is known as Wuhan pandemic in Gulf countries have resulted in many companies not taking up new ventures and sending back staff who were earing Rs 6 lakh per month. There are professionals who were earning Rs Six lakh per month offering themselves to work for Rs one lakh per month,” said Narayanan.
Narayanan who burnt his fingers by investing Rs three crore on his popular restaurant to revive it and repackage it saw the managers and staff who had come forward to work for him making a quick retract and returning back to Kerala.
“Not only Malayalees, but people from other States of India too are faced with bleak future. I am coming out to caution my brethren in India that the Gulf Dreams have come to an end. They should find out ways and means in India itself,” said Narayanan.
K A Joseph, general secretary, KSSIA, said that unless the Kerala Government comes forward with concrete and out-of-the-box solution, the State would not move forward in its plans to industrialise the State through MSME units. “The Budget presented by Balagopal is not at all convincing and inspiring. It is silent about job creation. Setting aside Rs 4,500 crore for MSME through Kerala State Financial Corporation is easier said than done. The attitude of our bureaucracy have to change if any progress has to be made in industrialisation” said Joseph.