Jajpur: Unemployment problem has acquired a serious proportion in industrially rich Jajpur district, a report said Saturday.
In comparison to the number of industries present in the district, employment opportunities have largely contracted in the district. The state government says that industries and mines can generate jobs and help solve the problem of unemployment but the reality is far from the truth.
According to available data over 18,553 youths have registered with the District Employment Exchange (DEE) from 2021 to April 2023. Taking this number into account, over 70,000 unemployed youths are still awaiting unemployment.
Sources said 9,609 youths registered for employment in the district by April 2023; 4,587 in 2022 and 4,357 in 2021. Among them, 261 youths were sponsored employment in various job fairs.
However, major industrial firms operating in the district are allegedly not giving employment through the district employment exchange. Some of the firms are appointing only some technical degree holders in their companies through campus placements held in government polytechnic colleges while rest of the big firms hardly care about employment generation.
There are a number of youths in the district possessing necessary technical qualifications from various engineering and polytechnic colleges. However, many of the firms are allegedly giving employment to youths hailing from outside the state on the pretext of lack of experience among the local youths despite being technically qualified. The lack of any opposition on the part of local public representatives and trade union leaders has only emboldened the firms to carry on with their wrongdoing with impunity. Public representatives elected from the district have been part of the state Cabinet from time to time.
However, the district has failed to solve the issue of unemployment despite the public representatives having a clout in the power corridor at different points of time. Development continues to be a misnomer in remote Nagada, Tumuni, and Guhiasal villages under Sukinda block where malnutrition deaths hit the headlines a few years back. The issues of healthcare, education, and employment continue to haunt the residents while flooding in monsoon months has turned into a bane for the residents of riparian villages.
PNN
