Unemployment problem in Sundargarh district has been acute, yet none seems to be serious about finding a solution.
A young unemployed youth of district allegedly committed suicide about a month ago because he had no job. The employment exchange offices of the district have become idle as there is hardly any placement. The educated persons are not getting employment in the district due to closure of a large number of industries.
Sources said 1.5 lakh persons have lost their jobs because of shutdown of industries. According to sources, about 2.5 lakh educated persons are unemployed in Sundargarh district. There are three employment offices including the District Employment Exchange at Rourkela, Employment Sub Office at Sundargarh, Employment Sub Office at Bonei, but due to non availability of jobs in market, the officials of employment offices in district are idle now. The officials are only engaged in doing registration of candidates but the candidates are hardly getting any job through employment exchange.
About 51, 633 jobless persons have been registered till February last. During the last 16 years from 1999 to 2015, only 2,563 persons have Government jobs. Earlier the private companies and mines were doing recruitment through employment exchange but over last ten years, the private companies are giving recruitment directly without the knowledge of the employment exchange. There are 45 sponge iron industries closed in district and more than 60 mines were not in operation. Besides, 46 induction furnaces, 96 crushers and more than 150 brick units have been shut. The transporters, who were dependent on these units, are also now striving hard to survive.
The contractors in the Rourkela Steel Plant have lost their contract, as the plant is not in a good shape. Hundreds of labourers have become unemployed. The educated male and female persons are going outside Odisha for employment but they are struggling to get a job there. Even several persons of Sundargarh district who are working as bonded labourers are being humiliated there.
“ We are now providing free of cost skill based training to the unemployed persons so that after the training, they will be self employed,” said district Collector BS Punia, adding, “The skill based trainings are being provided at Sundargarh and Bonei.”