Bhubaneswar: Asserting that his government is committed to provide government jobs to 1.5 lakh people in five years, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Friday said that so far 27,428 youths were given appointments in a span of 12 months.
Majhi, the first BJP chief minister of Odisha, will complete one year in office June 12.
“Before elections, we had committed to provide government jobs to 1.5 lakh people from 2024 to 2029. In one year, 27,428 people have been appointed and the target is to provide jobs to 65,000 persons by end of the second year of the government,” Majhi said.
He was addressing a programme in which appointment letters were given to 1,294 youths in seven departments here.
“So far, the state has made provisions to provide jobs to 90,000 people in private sector through industrialisation. More people will get jobs in the private sector in the coming days,” the CM said.
Majhi also said that being a person from the grass-root level, he understands the difficulties of the people and is eager to provide employment to people.
He said the state administration has raised the minimum age limit in government jobs from 32 years to 42 years after realising that many people were denied the opportunity during the 24-year rule of the BJD.
“My government has been making massive recruitment in the health and education sector as these two departments are directly connected to the people,” he said narrating his personal experience of four classes being held in one room at Bansapal block in Keonjhar district during the BJD government.
“I raised the issue, but nobody listened to me as I was then in the opposition party,” the chief minister said.
He asked the recruits to work with dedication and serve the people in need and at the same time cautioned that the government would not tolerate corruption.
Majhi also asked the new employees to take care of their elderly parents and family.
“All good students are entering into government jobs and want to become a doctor or engineer. However, no one has the desire to become a politician. Politics also needs brilliant people. Though some of our colleagues come from research, medical and engineering backgrounds they are not sufficient. More number of good students should come to politics,” he said.
The CM also confessed that he entered politics after failing to secure “a good government job”.
Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida and several other ministers also addressed the programme.
The CM handed over appointment letters to 30 officers from 30 districts in the programme.