Andhra Pradesh Assembly passes bill to reserve 75 per cent private jobs for locals

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly has passed a bill that reserves 75 per cent private jobs for locals in all private industrial units and factories. Andhra Pradesh has now become first state in the country to reserve jobs for locals. The reservation is irrespective of whether or not these companies get financial help from the government. Chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had promised the reservation in the run-up to the state assembly election.

State Assembly passed the Andhra Pradesh Employment of Local Candidates in Industries/Factories Act, 2019, which reserved 75 per cent private jobs across all categories in industrial units, factories, joint ventures as well as projects that are in public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

The Bill does not only apply to all the existing industries and factories in Andhra Pradesh but also those which will be set up after the enactment of the law in the state. Now the companies will have to hire 75 per cent locals within three years.

Andhra Pradesh’s new law states that if locals don’t have the necessary skills, then the companies would have to train them to hire.

Industries like petroleum, pharmaceuticals, coal, fertilisers and cement are exempted from the act, according to reports.

Earlier, YS Jaganmohan Reddy had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital and raised the issue of according the special category status to the state as well as amicable settlement of all contentious issues with neighbouring Telangana. During the meeting, that lasted for around 15 minutes, the newly appointed Andhra Chief Minister also informed the Home Minister about the issues of sharing of river waters and division of assets and liabilities among others between the two Telugu-speaking states.

"I took an appointment with Home Minister today (Friday) evening to try and prevail on him, to also soften PM's heart on special category status... what we will definitely be asking for in tomorrow's (Saturday's) NITI Aayog meeting," Jagan told media after the meeting.

"The agenda of my visit was tomorrow's NITI Aayog meeting. Tomorrow we will be presenting our case to the NITI Aayog, which is chaired by the Prime Minister," Jagan was quoted as saying.