The Chief Minister Harish Rawat has indeed carved a niche for himself in the state’s political realm as a popular leader by way of his populist announcements like providing pension cover to the farmers or raising the bar of the maximum age limit from 40 to 42 years in the state services or vouching to create openings in the basic education sector since he assumed charge in February this year.
He might even feel elated, thinking that these announcements have helped Congress reap electoral dividends in the wake of the party having conjured up spectacular poll feat in the Assembly by-polls and the rural polls.
Yet, the stark fact is that about six months having passed since he was saddled at the helm of the state, the most popular announcement of providing jobs to the trained but unemployed teachers in the education sector has remained elusive till date.
Mention worthy, the education sector, particularly the basic education sector, is the biggest employer in the public sector among various other government departments in the mountainous state.
Although the successive governments have been conducting recruitments in education and other departments from time to time these recruitment drives seem to be inadequate to accommodate thousands of trained but unemployed B Ed degree holders in the basic education sector.
According to such trained but unemployed youths, there are presently over 30,000 trained but unemployed aspirants for teaching jobs across the state.
It may be recalled that a huge number of B Ed degree holders were accommodated in the basic education sector during ND Tiwari regime in the state. However, such recruitment drive to accommodate B Ed degree holders in the basic education sector stopped after the ND Tiwari regime left the scene, the aspirants maintain.
The arena of such employment remaining mired in gloom, the new CM’s announcement to open door for employment in basic education sector had filled them with fresh hopes. But nothing has come about by way of implementation on the ground so far, landing the aspirants in bogs of despair.
However, when the issue of non-fulfillment of job promises made to thousands of trained but unemployed aspirants by the Congress led State Government was broached before the state school education minister Mantri Prasad Naithani, he said that the State Government is committed to fulfill its commitment.
The matter related to job opening in basic education sector remaining presently in the realm of the court is what is leading to the delay, he said, adding that the impediments would hopefully be removed soon.
However, far from being reassured by such platitudes, the trained but unemployed aspirants for the teaching jobs have already taken to the streets, demanding early opening of jobs for them. Moreover, they had called on the Chief Minister to press him to accelerate things.
Mounting unemployment has remained a major concern for the State Government. According to the state employment exchange department, there are over eight lakh unemployed youths presently enrolled with the employment exchange department. But the actual number of unemployed youths is supposed to be much higher, given the fact that many of them have not enrolled themselves in the employment department.