Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today promised in Gujarat that he would open floodgates of jobs if brought to power in the state. He unveiled an employment calendar in the state the BJP has been ruling for nearly 30 years and where elections are due by the year-end. 

How can Kejriwal dictate how the Indian Army will recruit?

Kejriwal said if voted to power, the AAP government would hold a series of exams, including for posts in panchayats, teachers and the state police, and recruit people. He declared he would amend the procedure for army recruitments, too, without telling the people doing so is not within the jurisdiction of a state government. The AAP chief was referring to the short-service scheme Agnipath.

Kejriwal slammed the BJP-led union government today on the Agniveer short service scheme for the armed forces, saying the BJP can "forgive 10 lakh crore loans for your friends and you don't have money for the army?"

"They said they don't have money to give pensions. We will protest this and get the forces their rights back; 130 crore people in India will sacrifice one meal for the army. Indians will pay," he said.

How can government dictate to private companies whom to recruit?

The Delhi chief minister announced a job quota for Gujaratis, saying 80% of private jobs would go to the people from the state, whereas the government does not have the right to dictate to private companies whom they can employ.

Giving the example of Punjab, where the AAP has formed government after a massive mandate earlier this year, Kejriwal said, "We changed Delhi, we're changing Punjab, and now we'll change Gujarat… The job allocation process will start within the first year of government formation".

AAP accused Gujarat's BJP government of failing not only on key human indices like education or healthcare but also one of the driving engines of the economy: job creation.

The populist party has promised to provide jobs to 10 lakh people within five years if voted to power. Until the promised employment generation is complete, the party said it would provide an allowance of Rs 3,000 to the unemployed. Kejriwal declared that there was no lack of funds for this unemployment allowance. "We will get the money to create jobs by ending just two scams," he claimed.

It may be recalled in this context that the Comptroller & Auditor General has found that at least seven public sector undertakings under the Delhi government of the AAP are running losses, contrary to Kejriwal's claim that his administration has enough money to splurge on freebies and doles.

"The biggest need of Gujarat's youth is employment. There are jobs, but people are running rackets and not filling government vacancies," said senior party leader and Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. In Delhi, they have given two lakh government jobs and 10 lakh private jobs via government schemes, he said at a Townhall in Bhavnagar.

Under the recruitment calendar for Gujarat, the AAP said the exams for posts in the Panchayati Raj would be held in February, and the posting will happen in April. Exams for teachers' recruitment will be conducted in May and the results will be out the next month. In July, teachers will be given options to choose where they want to be posted.

In August, exams for all vacant teacher posts will be held and the posts will be filled in October. The next month, the process for Sub Inspector's recruitment will begin and the postings will be completed by December.