Opposition targets Odisha government over rising unemployment

BHUBANESWAR: The Opposition on Tuesday came down heavily on the government in the Assembly over growing unemployment problem in the State and its  failure to keep promises on creation of jobs.

Initiating the debate on an adjournment motion on the issue, Congress member Tara Prasad Bahinipati targeted the BJD government for not fulfilling its promise in the 2014 election manifesto to create two lakh job opportunities for the youths.

Bahinipati said that lakhs of youths are forced to migrate to other states to seek jobs because of failure of the government. Though there are one lakh job vacancies in the government, no steps have been started to fill up the posts, he alleged.

The Congress MLA also criticised the Centre for forgetting its promise to create two crore job opportunities in the country once 2019 election was over. BJP also targeted the State government over the issue.

Deputy leader of the BJP Legislature Party Bishnu Charan Sethi said that though unemployment problem in the State has been discussed several times in the past, the government seems to have slept over the issue.

Opposition chief whip Mohan Majhi said that the State government does not have infrastructure and the required base to generate two lakh job opportunities every year. The target set by the government is unrealistic, he added.

Making a statement in response, Minister of State for Skill Development Pritiranjan Gharai said that the State government is working on creating more and more employment opportunities for the youth. Stating that there are 2.26 lakh vacancies in the government, at around 22.5 percent of the total posts, the Minister said steps are being taken to fill them up.