Tamil Nadu mulls 50% job quota for locals in firms

CHENNAI: The state government is considering making it mandatory to reserve 50% of skilled jobs in new industries for people of the state. The government would push the proposal while signing MoUs with companies in the coming Global Investors' Meet (GIM) on January 23 and 24, said state industries minister M C Sampath in the assembly on Saturday.
He was replying to Kilvelur DMK MLA U Mathivanan's suggestion that investors taking part in the meet be persuaded to provide employment to educated youth in the state. A large section of youth with professional degrees are jobless in the state, the former minister said.

Job promises made before MoUs aren’t kept: Opposition

Sampath said, “We have good, skilled manpower in the state. We will tell investors that at least 50% of the skilled jobs in factories should be reserved for people from Tamil Nadu”.

Deputy leader of the opposition S Duraimurugan said while signing MoUs, industries commit to employ local people, but they do not honour the commitment while recruitment happens. A vast majority of people employed in factories in Tamil Nadu are from other states, he said.

He urged the minister to do a study on those employed in private industries to verify whether they had complied with their MoUs, said Duraimurugan.

After assuming office as chief minister of Madhya Pradesh recently, Kamal Nath said he had signed an order that stipulates 70% reservation for local people in new industries.

“These are political statements. Companies investing in a state recruit employees based on their skills to ensure good profits. During recruitment, companies do not go by the caste or creed of people; nor do they see which state one hails from,” said Assocham secretary general D S Rawat.

Before Madhya Pradesh, chief ministers of other states had taken such decisions. But they were never followed as they were impractical, said Rawat.