New Delhi: Critisising corporate honchos for turning deaf to crying social issues, Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday asked why none of them came forward to take over ITIs and provide jobs to physically challenged persons despite a host of incentives announced in the Budget.
"When we are promising 100,000 jobs to physically challenged...it's a challenge not only for government but also for you. I did not hear anyone of you speak about how you will provide jobs to physically challenged persons," as quoted by PTI, Chidambaram asked industry leaders in a post-budget meeting with Assocham.
The Finance Minister had promised in his Budget that the Government will reimburse the employers' contribution to EPF and ESI for the first three years if they provide jobs to the disabled persons.
Chidambaram was equally concerned that none from India Inc came forward for upgrading ITIs despite the Budgetary promise of providing interest free loans for modernisation of these institutions.
"When I offer 1,396 ITIs (for upgradation) and I promised Rs 2.5 crore (interest free loan) per ITI, I did not hear anyone of you say this is challenge for industry and we will come forward and takeover ITIs," he said.
He asked the corporate world to appoint someone as the chief of social responsibility in the same way as they have CEOs, COOs and CFOs.
The Finance Minister said the industry representatives raised a number of complaints about the budget, which were not unjustified. "CFOs are breathing over the neck of COOs, COOs are breathing over the necks of CEOs, I quite understand this," he said in a light vein.
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