They live in slums, all below the poverty line. Today they have got jobs that will pay between Rs 4,500 and Rs 5, 500 a month, at places such as Kentucky Fried Chicken and Landmark, and at a time employees everywhere live in fear of pink slips.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has ensured jobs for 58 such people under its Aadhar Project, implemented through the urban poverty eradication cell. The programme saw three months of free training for youths and women living below the poverty line, with jobs guaranteed on completion. The course, which ended on Saturday, resulted in 58 placements in customer relations (salespersons at malls and big retail shops), hospitality (waiters or cashiers at food joints), IT-enabled services and hospitals (beds and patients).

Ashish Dhupkar, 19, son of a domestic help, started work at Kentucky Fried Chicken last week. “Only I know how important this is for me. My mother has worked very hard to raise and educate me,” said the second year B Com student from Guru Nanak College. He took hospitality training. “I would have never been able to afford such a course.”

A total of 77 students had enrolled. “A few dropped out due to family problems or to concentrate on studies,” said Medha Joshi, project co-coordinator, All India Local Self Government (AILSG), which is helping the civic body and providing training to candidates.

The candidates have got jobs in KFC, Resort Hotel, Mod, Pan Food India (hospitality); Landmark, Shopper’s Stop, Star Bazar, Reliance Fresh, Mod (customer relations service); Landmark and Reliance (IT-enabled services).

... contd.