Reporter's Diary: When politicos react first, understand later

Growth trend of MSMEs for the last decade presented in the policy note for MSMEs department in the House on June 7 showed that new investments in MSMEs fell by Rs 10,848.66 crore to Rs 25,373.12 crore in 2017-18 fiscal, against the Rs 36,221 crore in 2016-17 fiscal. 

According to the report, the state generated only 13.78 lakh jobs in the sector last year, against the 18.97 lakh jobs created the year before. But, as reports of job loss numbers trickled out from the Assembly coverage in a section of media, a section of politicos blamed the state of having allowed such a staggering job loss. 

A leader from the regional party had even sent out an elaborate statement holding the government accountable for the loss of as many as 5 lakh jobs and in effect there was no job loss, but dip in job generation to the same extent in MSME sector. 

A similar statement in the same tone and tenor was issued by the state unit leader of a national party. State which got worked up by the smear campaign by the leaders issued a rejoinder. The best was that a colleague of the national party leader had even quoted misleading figures and reports in a press conference at Delhi.