Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik might have gained political mileage by increasing the retirement age of the State Government employees to 60, but it has cast a dark shadow over the aspirations of the youths and the unemployed boys and girls of the State in general and Sambalpur in particular.
“This is nothing but a treachery to thousands of youths who with great hopes elected this Government just a few days back. If the Government had to increase the retirement age, why didn’t it do so before elections,” ask many students of the GM College here.
“Thousands of youths all over the State are waiting for Government jobs, but the decision of the Government would squeeze the opportunity,” said two students, Dharmendra Pradhan of MCA and Subodh Kumar Meher of MFC of the college.
“This is a totally wrong decision as it is sure to deprive the youths of jobs,” opined two girl students of the college Swarnalaxmi Swain and Saumyaoriya Kalo of MFC department.
However, these students support the increased retirement age of the doctors, judges and Class IV employees.
On the other hand, many employees, who had already planned for their post-retirement schedule, said they are thinking of voluntary retirement.
But Kewal Nath Bisi of the MCA department, son of a Government employee in the Tourism Department, is of a different opinion. “My father will get two years’ extra income and our family is sure to benefit from it,” he said.
Dr Dillip Panda, a retired Economics Professor of GM College said, “The decision would stop the discrimination between the Central and State Government employees. But from the unemployment point of view, this is totally a bad decision. It is also a promotion for the inefficient and the corrupt employees.”