Haryana MSMEs blame job quota law as investment dip lowest in 8 years

Gurugram, Mar 21 (KNN) The MSMEs of Haryana have blamed the 75 per cent job reservation quota for youths from the state in the private sector as the main reason for 2021 to be lowest investment year since 2014. 

The investment charts was revealed through a government data tabled in the state assembly last week. 

Industrial investment saw an upwards swing  as it soared from Rs 3,300 crore in 2014 to Rs 4,800 crore in 2018.

However in 2020 it dipped to Rs 2,100 crore in and further to Rs 1,600 crore in 2021.

Commenting on the fall in investment, BR Bhatia, president of Faridabad Industrial Association (FIA) and one of the litigants challenging the job quota told the media that, “Due to the job quota law no major industrial giant has expanded its base here, but they are opening plants in states like Gujarat and Karnataka.”

Industrialists have also called out GRAP regulations imposed in the NCR districts every winter as an additional reason for the cut in investment. 

The government has said the low investment is the result of subdued demand and erratic supply during the pandemic.

Hoping for a turnaround, Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, who also holds the industries and commerce portfolio said, “No big units in the state have shut down except the micro and small scale industries which were affected as orders got cancelled during the pandemic.” 

But with Maruti and Flipkart investing here, and Birla’s paint unit and Coke coming to the state, the investment is set to rise, he stated. (KNN Bureau)