Unemployment problem mostly among the youths has increased manyfold in Sambalpur district with only one per cent of the total registered unemployed having secured jobs. Despite having many small and medium industries in the district, the figure of unemployment has been speedily rising. According to official sources, during the last 4 years total 22,371 unemployed boys and girls have registered in the local employment exchange.
Out of them only 329 secured employment which is said to be only 1.4 per cent. Interestingly, most of them got employment as security guards and salesmen in private companies.
As per the reports, out of 21 employment notifications in 2016, only 117 youths registered in the employment exchange were engaged.
Similarly, during 2017, only two notifications published in which only 61 persons secured employment. In that year, a total 6,167 job seekers registered their names in the employment exchange. There was also no notification published for employment during 2018.
To provide self-employment, the district administration conducted three training programmes for women and provided sewing machines in tribal based Kuchinda sub-division in 2014. In Rairakhol sub-division, a training programme for wood work was conducted in 2015. Thereafter there was no initiative for providing training to the unemployed youths in the district.
The State Industry Department run oldest Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Hirakud, on the foothills of Hirakud dam, is facing a total unemployment scenario as no industries are coming forward for their campus recruitment, ITI sources said.
Although there are many industries but the local recruitment is almost nil. It has been alleged that the managements of these industries preferred outsiders even for class four jobs. On many cases, the candidates of their choice are being appointed at their headquarters at Kolkata and other places and simply shifted them showing as transfer case to Sambalpur based industries.
“Despite the State and Union Governments organizing Make in India and Make in Odisha programmes, the situation has not improved. These schemes are only confined to pen and papers,” said Ratikant Mohanty.