Agnipath denies youth job security, says Harish Rao

Siddipet: Finance Minister T Harish Rao has said the Centre’s Agnipath scheme will deny job security to youngsters, which would eventually weaken those who are hired through it.

Talking to teacher job aspirants, who cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), in Siddipet on Wednesday, the Minister also demanded that the Centre take up the recruitment of 16.5 lakh jobs that were lying vacant in its departments for long now.

Harish said the country’s unemployment rate has touched 8.7 per cent, while the Rupee is plummeting to a new low every day. Accusing the BJP-led NDA government of spreading fake news, he said the BJP leaders have been spreading vicious words and their speeches have no substance.

Unlike the Centre, the Minister said the Telangana government had issued recruitment notifications for over 1.5 lakh jobs until last year, besides starting to issue notifications for another 91,000 jobs this year.

Appreciating the job aspirants, who cleared the TET recently, he said 517 out of 618 attended the free coaching offered by him in Siddipet. They scored 82 per cent pass percent. The pass percentage was much higher compared to the State’s average of 32 per cent. Amid the applause, Harish announced that he would offer free long-term coaching before the government issues a notification. He also announced that they would offer free coaching to Group-IV job aspirants.

He said that he would be most satisfied once all those who attend the free coaching land a job. Criticising those demanding that GO 317 be repealed, Harish said Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao issued it with Presidential order to provide 95 per cent of the jobs to locals.