How come 7% growth seen without any job creation, says NITI Aayog CEO

Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog on Wednesday here said that it is impossible to say that 7 per cent of growth happened without any job creation or increase in employment opportunities. "It is absolutely impossible to say that 7 per cent of growth happened without any job creation or increase in employment opportunities. If one looks at our analysis, the number of schemes launched, and keeping all the other factors in mind, there has been a continuous process of job creation," Kant told reporters.

"Our country's ambition should be of achieving 10 per cent growth when we will reach this level we will be able to lift up a maximum number of people above the poverty line," he added. He further added that the government's focus was to improve the growth rate. "If West Bengal and Karnataka say that jobs have been created in their respective states, then how it is possible that there is no employment generation?" he said.

When asked about the recent Jet Airways crisis, Kant said, "I am not looking after the issue of jet airways so, I cannot comment on that." An SBI-led consortium has taken over the debt-ridden airlines after chairman and founder Naresh Goyal, stepped down from the Board on March 25. Burdened with high operating costs and a huge debt, the airline has been facing the biggest crisis in its history.

(With inputs from agencies.)