Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Monday said his government has facilitated employment for 73,346 youths in just 369 days since taking office.
Speaking at the ‘Nijukti Mela’ (employment fair), where appointment letters were distributed to 964 newly recruited youths, mostly junior engineers, Majhi said, “Our government is only one year and four days old. In this short span, we have appointed 73,346 youths, 28,346 in government departments and 45,000 in the private sector.”
Underlining the importance of government jobs, Majhi said he and his ministers failed to bag government jobs and therefore opted for other professions like politics.
However, the newly recruited youths are lucky to get absorbed in the government sector, he said.
“People have an obsession with government jobs. This is clearly shown in the Hindi film ‘Nayak’, where the heroine’s father refuses to marry her off to a journalist and insists on a government servant. That reflects how highly people value government service,” Majhi told the gathering.
Majhi added, “Only two per cent of Odisha’s population are in government jobs. That’s why we are actively creating jobs in the private sector.”
He said the state has finalised investments worth Rs 13 lakh crore, expected to generate 12.90 lakh private-sector jobs.
“Once these industries are set up, large numbers of jobs will be created for our youth,” he emphasised.
Calling youths the “pilots of Odisha’s development chariot,” Majhi said, “We are committed to channelling the energy, potential, and enthusiasm of the youth for the state’s development and social welfare.”
Of the 964 recruits, 907 are junior engineers who, he said, “will contribute significantly to infrastructure and growth.”
He expressed hope that the newly recruited youths would work with honesty and dedication.
“Always remember, your actions and decisions at the government level must reflect public interest. You are servants of the people,” he told them.
Majhi added that the government plans to recruit 1.5 lakh youths in the state service over the next five years.
“Around 65,000 posts will be filled in the first two years. Till date, 28,346 government posts have been filled,” he said, adding that the age limit for government jobs has been raised from 32 years to 42 years.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister KC Patra, Works Minister Prithivi Raj Harichandan, Housing and Urban Development Minister KC Mohapatra and Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Nayak were also present on the occasion.
PTI
