The newly-formed All Odisha Unemployed Architects’ Association here on Wednesday slammed the State Government for its “step-motherly attitude” towards architects and held it responsible for unemployment of thousands of architect pass-out students.
At a Press meet here, association convenor Payoswini Priyadarshini said every year a number of skilled diploma and degree students, mostly girls, pass out as architects from different engineering colleges in the State like the Government Polytechnic, CET, and ABIT in Cuttack. like civil engineers, they are also well-equipped in estimating, designing and structure. However, the Government has done little for generating employment for them. As a result, many bright architects are forced to work in private companies with less salary.
Instead of recruiting such architects, the State Government pays crores of rupees to outside architectural companies for preparation of designs of building and other constructions, she added.
“In 2013, the Urban and Housing Department had issued an advertisement for appointment of 48 architectural assistants. Though around 1,000 students had applied for the posts, the Government has not made any appointment till now. When the candidates asked the cause of the delay through RTI, the department in July replied that the posts have been abolished,” said association joint convenor Sima Panda.
In view of all this, the association demanded that the State Government take immediate steps for appointment of the unemployed diploma and degree architects. A memorandum in this regard would be given to the Government shortly. If the Government does not take any action, the architects under the association’s banner would stage demonstration before the State Assembly during its ensuing Winter Session, said association advisor Rajendra Burma.