Gujarat Inc looks at job quota with dread

AHMEDABAD/VADODARA/GANDHINAGAR: The noises that functionaries of the UPA government are making over a job quota system in the private sector for socially underprivileged sections is clearly cacaphony for Gujarat Inc.
In business driven Gujarat even the Narendra Modi government and the state BJP are unwilling to commit themselves on the subject. Modi''s principal secretary Hasmukh Adhia says, "To the best of my knowledge, no discussion has taken place at the government level."
BJP''s state chief Rajendrasinh Rana says the party had not discussed the issue at all so far."Only BJP president L K Advani is in a position to say something on the issue", says Rana while trying to wriggle out.
But the industry is not mincing its words. Questioning the logic behind such a move, Piruz Khambatta, chairman and managing director, Rasna Pvt Ltd said: "Reservation has existed in the public sector for the last 50 years but it has hardly done anything to uplift the socially backward. If it has not worked there how will it work in the private sector?"
CII''s Gujarat council spokesperson called for voluntary initiatives on part of industry. "It should be voluntary and industry can proactively work towards helping the weaker sections of society by ugrading their technical skills and enhancing their employability", he says.
Opposing the move on the ground that it would hurt productivity in an environment where one has to be globally competitive, Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Chinubhai Shah feels a job quota in private sector would be a retrograde step. "There is tremendous pressure on industry to perform and the private sector should be set free to compete globally. A primary requisite for this would be employment on merit basis".
Some are suggesting a middle path. Adani group''s Sanjay Gupta advocated a government-industry partnership in creating employment, training and education infrastructure for the underprivileged. "It would be tragic if a non-merit based quota system is introduced," Gupta said.
"As employment in the private sector is done strictly on merit, certain qualitative and qualification standards have to be laid down", pointed out Ganesh Nayak, executive director, Zydus Cadila.
Rakesh Agrawal, managing director, Vadodara-based Bayer ABS Ltd, felt it was important to get meritorious candidates irrespective of caste. "We don''t mind employing 80 per cent of our staff from the reserved category as long as they are meritorious. While such a quota would only appease certain sections of society, it should not be at the cost of the industry."
Sunil Shah, general manager, Shree Dinesh Mills, feels the government should give up the idea soonest to help the industry breathe easy. "Industry cannot afford to operate like a charitable trust", he argues, while adding that his company employs people from such classes but not at the cost of quality.
"At a time when industry is demanding liberalisation of labour laws, the government is thinking in the opposite direction," feels Atul Patel, president of Forum, a Vadodara-based industry organisation.