Union Rural Development minister Upendra Kushwaha strikes a discordant note

New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Rural Development Upendra Kushwaha today struck a discordant note while sharing experiences of unemployed youth from rural areas saying they earn "meagre" salaries in a metropolis after being imparted training.

It is not a "big deal" if an unemployed youth from Bihar or Odisha after being imparted skills training earns Rs 6000 in Delhi or Noida, he said at the national convention on skill development here.

"The amount is too meagre to sustain a person in a city like Delhi or Noida. How much he will spend on himself and sent to his family back home?" Kushwaha, who is an MP from Karakat in Bihar, asked. "No matter how much we patted our own back, this is nothing," he added.

The Ministry of Rural Development was showcasing how private sector companies were imparting skill training to unemployed youth from rural and urban areas and providing employment on that basis. Some youths even narrated their stories at the convention and how they were employed after getting training in such companies. A youth from Odisha narrated his story to the audience saying he is earning Rs 7,500 in Noida after getting training by the company.

Kushwaha's remark drew loud cheer from the audience and stunned silence from Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, senior officials and captains of industries who were present at the event.

Responding to Kushwaha's observation Naidu later said, "First we have to create wealth then distribution. Without creating wealth there cannot be any distribution." Kushwaha also advocated for a training programme for youth in Naxal-affected areas as it would help in solving the menace.

Kushwaha's RLSP is an ally of NDA at the centre. During the convention, they also announced a Rs 500 crore "Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana" to uplift the poor by enhancing livelihood opportunities through skill development and also urged Industry to come forward to impart training to unemployed youth.