As the Manohar Lal Khattar Government is patting its back for ensuing transparency in recruitments to government jobs, the opposition—Indian National Lok Dal and Congress-- on Friday escalated their attack on the State Government over “job crisis” while pointing out how a large number of over-qualified youth are being selected for the posts of peons and gardeners in Haryana.
During the discussion on Governor's address on the third day of ongoing budget session of Haryana Assembly, the BJP led State Government found itself enmeshed in a war of words over the recruitments of over-qualified youth for the posts of peons and gardeners even as the eligible youth, who fulfill the criteria of minimum educational qualification remains jobless.
Slamming the State Government, Leader of opposition and INLD's senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala said, “These days, over-qualified youth with degrees like M.Sc. and double degrees are turning up for the posts of gardeners and peons."
“There is no point of possessing a master's degree if you will end up becoming a peon and gardener. Such jobs do not require such high qualifications,” said Chautala while speaking during the discussion on Governor's address.
“You claim of providing jobs on merit basis but M.Sc. qualified youth are doing the job of gardeners in Haryana," Chautala told the Chief Minister Manohar Lal while citing the example of his own gardener, who he claimed has a M.Sc. degree.
Stating that eligibility criteria should be taken into consideration for selection of candidates in class IV jobs, Chautala said, “The over-qualified youth should not be insulted with such jobs.”
Upping the ante against the government over the same issue, independent MLA Jai Parkash said, “Jobs should be given as per qualification. Due to over-qualified youth applying for the class IV jobs like peon, gardeners etc, people from rural areas and youth who are not very educated but have minimum qualification for these jobs, are being ignored.”
“People with qualification like M.Sc., M.A., Ph.D are applying for class IV jobs, he said while asking the government to ensure that people who require such jobs and fulfill minimum qualification criteria for these jobs should be given employment.
Congress’ Karan Dalal also attacked the State Government over the issue of unemployment and accused the government of allowing the opening of recruitment agencies, which are looting the youth in the name of providing jobs.
Notably, highly qualified candidates, including postgraduates (PGs), graduates, diploma holders and candidates with vocational education, had applied for Class IV posts, for which the examination was held in November last year in Haryana. 18 lakh educated applicants had opted for 18,218 Group D posts (Class IV) of peon, gardener and beldar.
As per government’s data, 1,001 PGs, 5,346 graduates, 276 with vocational education, 569 diploma holders, 6,756 senior secondary pass candidates were listed in the final selection for the Group D posts.
Countering the picture projected by opposition of rising unemployment in the state, Chief Minister Manohar Lal said that more than 18000 jobs in class IV posts (Group D) have been provided and more recruitments’ will be done in next six months.
On the issue of highly-qualified applying for class IV jobs, he said, “As per the government’s data, the percentage of unemployed highly qualified youth is more in the country.”
Quoting the All-India unemployment rate, Manohar Lal said, “The overall unemployment rate among those youth with secondary education is just 3.2 percent, those with post-graduate degree is 8.5 percent and with graduate-level technical education is 11percent.”
“We cannot put a cap on highest education qualification in government jobs. As highly qualified people are more in percentage of unemployed youth, they are availing whatever opportunity they are getting in government jobs,” he said.
Referring to the recruitment of more than 18000 people to Group D posts, the Chief Minister claimed that more than 10000 candidates had qualification of only 10th and 12th. Out of total recruitments, around 15000 belonged to rural areas, he added.
The State Government, through Governor’s address, had conveyed that it provided government jobs to 56000 young men and women and the recruitment process for close to 17000 posts is in the final phase.
The Governor’s speech had also mentioned that more than 7.73 lakh job seekers have been registered with the Employment Exchange as on November 2018. 16332 unemployment youth have been employed as cab drivers under MoU with OLA and UBER and 466 employed as security guards under Saksham Haryana campaign. Apart from this, 26537 job seekers have been placed by various private organizations through job fairs till December 2018, it stated.
Former CM Hooda challenges Manohar Lal to put him in jail
Facing trial in corruption charges, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday challenged the Chief Minister Manohar Lal to put him in jail.
“As you have been claiming among people of the state that I will go to jail, it seems you have become the advocate and judge as well. I challenge you to put me in jail,” Hooda told Manohar Lal while speaking during the Zero Hour.
“I challenge you to get all inquiries done against me. We will see what happens then… There are cases against me and inquires are ongoing but I have done nothing wrong,” the two-time former Chief Minister said.
Responding to him, Finance Minister said, “The former CM should have faith in the judicial system. Let the Court decide if you will go to jail or not.”
Hooda is facing CBI probes in three cases including Manesar land acquisition and allotment of an institutional plot to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of National Herald, in Panchkula. In these cases, charge sheets have been filed in the Court.
The CBI last month registered the third case against Hooda and several others in connection with the alleged irregularities in allotting over 1,417 acres of land during 2009-12 in Gurugram. The case against Hooda and others was registered on the directions of the Supreme Court on November 1, 2017 when the CBI was entrusted with the probe into alleged irregularities in the process of acquisition of 1,417.07 acres of land between 2009 and 2012 for sector 58 to 63 and 65 to 67 in Gurugram.
Hooda, while talking to the mediapersons later said, “I have done nothing wrong. They (BJP) claim that the land was provided to Robert Vadra (Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law) in an illegal manner but all such claims are wrong.”
Speaker should to decide on LoP status: Naina Chautala
A day after the Chautala family feud echoed in Haryana Assembly and demand of voting to decide the status of Leader of opposition was raised, Jannayak Janta Party leader Naina Chautala on Friday said that it is upto the Speaker Kanwar Pal Gujjar to decide over the issue.
MLA Naina Chautala, who is wife of JJP patron Ajay Chautala, while talking to the mediapersons said that we have accepted on the floor of the House that the INLD has split and JJP is formed.
When asked whether Abhay Chautala should continue as Leader of opposition, Naina said that both INLD and Congress have 17 MLAs each. The Speaker will decide on this, she said.
Reacting on the issue, former Chief Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that Leader of opposition (Abhay Chautala) should leave the post on moral grounds.
A day before, the Speaker had maintained that if JJP leaders submit a written statement to him about the party’s split, he will look into the matter.
Congress had demanded voting to decide whether the INLD MLA Abhay Chautala should continue as the Leader of opposition in the House.
In the 90-member State Assembly, while the ruling BJP has 48 MLAs after the recent Jind bypoll win, both Congress and INLD have 17 members each, one each member belongs to the SAD and BSP, five are independents while one seat fell vacant after demise of INLD's Jaswinder Singh Sandhu recently
Gurugram MLA questions his Govt. again
A day after questioning the State Government over the investments materialized in Haryana, Gurugram MLA Umesh Aggarwal on Friday put his government in the dock over the issue of outdoor publicity policy in Gurugram.
Seeking answers from Urban Local Bodies Minister Kavita Jain on why the outdoor publicity tenders have not been floated for over an year, BJP MLA Umesh Aggarwal said that if an appropriate outdoor publicity policy is made then more revenue could be generated in Gurugram.
He also raised questions on the revenue generation from advertisement during last five years in Gurugram Municipal Corporation.
A day before, the Gurugram MLA during the question hour had left the Manohar Lal Khattar Government embarrassed when he had questioned the Industries and Commerce Minister Vipul Goel over the statistics related to investment tabled in the House.
Later, he had also expressed disappointment over the issue of cleanliness in Gurugram.