AGARTALA: The unemployed youths have blocked the National Highway 44 yesterday, demanding immediate filling up of the vacant posts under the Education department and threatened to halt the traffic movement across the state if their demand was not conceded.
As many as 25,000 posts in various departments, including 15,000 under Education department, had been left vacant over past few years, and in the meantime the state government had already conducted interview for filling up 16,000 posts.
” The state government has advertised for filling up in several phases, but unfortunately now they are arguing since the state has got less allocation as gap grant from 13th Finance Commission. No posting will be given soon unless the state get extra fund from the Centre, which is quite unacceptable, ” said the agitating job aspirants.
They had blamed the ”inefficiency” of the state administration, saying the state was not deprived at all of getting financial assistance as whatever amount the state demanded the Centre had given, but if they did not demand any fund for filling up the vacancies, how the allocation will come.
Earlier, the unemployed graduates had staged demonstration in front of the official residence of Education Minister Tapan Chakraborty, demanding job assurance for the aspirants.
” Other than government job no option is left for employment in the state because growth of both industrial and private sectors are minimal and the Left Front government has failed to bring investment in the state, ” said Leader of Opposition Ratan Lal Nath, adding the Manik Sarkar administration wanted job-less growth. Meanwhile, on November 16 last Agartala bench of Gauhati High Court directed the Tripura government to form a three-member body comprising Principal Secretaries to probe the alleged malpractice and nepotism in giving government teacher’s job in March last.
The Tripura government had employed 4716 graduates as teachers in government schools that triggered wide resentment and allegations of nepotism, partisan approach and malpractice in selecting the candidates. The court had also directed the state government to form the committee within next 15 days comprising Principal Secretaries of the Finance, General Administration and Education department to receive fresh application from the petitioners and scrutinize it.
It was alleged that the government did not follow the guidelines of merit, seniority and need, and had deprived deserving graduates resorting to nepotism. (UNI)