The government's focus on privatisation of public sector companies has reduced job opportunities for youths and the advent of artificial intelligence will further aggravate the problem, Opposition members said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

Participating in the debate on the Union Budget 2024-25, Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-Uddhav faction) said the government should inform how it is going to create jobs in the country.

Youngsters do not need internships, they need jobs, he said, adding that jobs have come down drastically as the government has privatised many PSUs.

Sawant said that even in Parliament, contractual staff is providing most of the services.

Citing an example of a naval dockyard, the MP said some casual workers have been working there for 25 years.

Once AI is introduced fully in banks, insurance and other sectors, he said, it is going to further wipe out job opportunities.

Is this a sustainable situation for the most populous country in the world, Sawant asked.

All the schemes announced for the youths by the government in the Budget are temporary measures, he said.

For the internship scheme, the government is saying that it will take money from corporates.

The government which had promised to provide jobs to two crore youths every year is now talking about providing internships to one crore people in the next five years, Rajeev Rai of the SP quipped during the debate.

Talking about privatisation, Congress MP Hibi Eden said the government is on a selling spree. "It has sold many PSUs and 31 more are in the line to be sold," he said.

Eden alleged that the Critical Mineral Mission announced in the Budget should not turn into an "Adani-Ambani Mission".

Raising the issue of flood in some parts of Kerala, he said the state needs funds for flood mitigation but no package was announced in the Budget.

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