CPI(M) slams centre’s Employment Linked Incentive Scheme, calls it ‘Corporate Cronyism’

New Delhi, Jul 2: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has strongly opposed the Union Cabinet’s approval of the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme, alleging that it is a move designed to benefit large corporate houses at the expense of workers.

In a statement issued by its Polit Bureau, the CPI(M) termed the ELI scheme as a mechanism for diverting public funds under the guise of job creation and social security.

The party accused the BJP-led central government of engaging in crony capitalism, claiming the scheme promotes insecure and low-quality employment while subsidising the costs of private employers—including statutory liabilities—through public money. The party further criticised the government for slashing allocations to schemes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which directly supports rural poor, while ignoring calls for an urban employment guarantee.

In contrast, the CPI(M) said, the government continues to offer substantial incentives to corporate entities. Calling for the immediate scrapping of the ELI scheme, the CPI(M) urged the government to focus instead on ensuring decent employment through the expansion of public services. The party demanded increased investment in health, education, public transport, and other essential sectors, alongside the filling of existing vacancies and provision of job and social security with guaranteed minimum wages.