Interested candidates crowded the office of Goa Human Resource Development Corporation at Porvorim on Monday since the recruitment of 370 contract-based posts was being carried out. The applicants were so many that the Corporation had to cancel the recruitment programme. They accepted the applications from the candidates and informed them that they will be called later for the interviews. Now the Corporation will schedule the interviews as per their convenience. This proves that unemployment is indeed at an all time high and hence the youth are applying for any jobs that they can find. Surprisingly, all the posts will be filled on contract basis.
Out of 370 posts, 300 are of Multi Tasking Staff (Class-4), 50 are of drivers cum messengers and 20 posts for personal assistant cum stenographer. The government should take a hint, given the huge crowd of youth who applied for such posts. The government may very well claim the big numbers of recruitment and issuance of appointment letters are applying for the posts, and although that may be partially true, it is also true that unemployment is incredibly high when viewed in a wider perspective.
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The crowd on Monday proved just that in recent times, the government has changed the recruitment process which is why such incidents are happening more often. Earlier, calling for applications by publishing advertisements, scrutinising the received applications and then calling only eligible candidates for interviews used to be the process for recruitment. The chaos that took place on Monday could have been avoided if the same process was followed in the first place and now the Corporation has decided to go the old way. There was also no reason for the youth to crowd in such large numbers as these posts are not of permanent nature. Also, given the government’s pattern till now, one cannot even expect to get permanent posting for the job they were working on contract-basis for years. So, why such a rush?
The answer lies in the high rate of unemployment. The government is deceiving youth. The government should recruit the employees permanently, otherwise the problems which arise during the recruitment processes will persist. This will cause not only inconvenience but also injustice to those who have accepted employment on contracts, temporary basis or under various schemes. If the government genuinely wishes that the employees should lead a comfortable and secure life, then they should cancel the method of hiring workers on a temporary basis. Once a person is recruited for a job permanently, it naturally erases all the future problems which arise during the re-hiring process.
It is the government’s duty to cultivate the nature of welfare in the State but it is unfortunate that we do not see it happening. The difficulties are more severe with the ones who work on daily wages. The concept of daily wage exists if the government needs to get work done urgently and if it is not possible to carry out the entire recruiting process for permanent posts within the available time frame. However, the government has only abused this provision. How can one work on daily wages for 10 years? The government not seem to be concerned about this. If one works at one place continuously for 5 years that means the respective post is available and the person should be retained in the service permanently as per the rule. Alas, the government never followed the rule.
Those who started as young persons kept working on daily wages until they grew old and then got out of the service. The system of contract-basis is no different. The government increased the minimum wage by merely Rs 100 which angered the workers. On Thursday, the workers were protesting at Azad Maidan against the decision. It has to be noted that the minimum wages were not increased in the last 8 years. The government’s minimum wage policy is flabbergasting as despite the inflation, no changes were made in the minimum wage paid for a staggering 8 years. It is impossible to make a living out of minimum wage which is already so low. If the essentials were perceived expensive back then, then would they not find it even more so in the burning inflation of today? Will ruling party ever think about this?
