Srinagar, Jul 02: The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has opposed the approval of the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme by the Union Cabinet.
The party, in a statement issued here, condemned the scheme as a “move to divert public funds to large corporate entities”. It accused the BJP-led central government of cronyism and favouring corporate interests at the expense of workers.
“The CPI(M) describes the ELI scheme as a deceptive initiative that claims to promote job creation, employability, and social security but, in reality, facilitates precarious employment by subsidizing investment, production, labuor costs, and statutory liabilities for both domestic and foreign employers using public money,” the statement said.
The party criticised the government for reducing allocations to schemes like MGNREGA, which, it said, benefit rural poor, and neglecting urban employment guarantees, while offering substantial incentives to corporations.
The CPI(M) called on the government to prioritise decent employment with fair wages, job security, and social security by filling vacancies and expanding public services such as health, education, and public transport through adequate funding. It demanded the immediate scrapping of the ELI scheme to protect workers’ interests and ensure equitable development.
