Sridhar Babu clarifies his remarks amid growing youth protests over jobs

Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu clarified his remarks in the Legislative Council after unemployed youth staged protests across Hyderabad. He said his statements were misinterpreted for political gains and reiterated the government’s commitment to a structured job calendar.

Hyderabad: With unemployed youth hitting the streets demanding job notifications and creating uproar over his remarks in the Legislative Council, Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu said his statements were deliberately misinterpreted for political gains.

In a statement issued here on Friday, he clarified that his intent was not to demean unemployed youth, but to underline the responsibility of the government towards them.

Acknowledging that the State has nearly 25 lakh unemployed youth, the Minister said the government was pursuing a dual strategy. At one end, efforts are focused on accelerating public recruitment while simultaneously focusing on skill development, upskilling and reskilling to improve employment prospects in the private sector, he stressed.

The Minister stressed that over 70,000 government jobs were filled through transparent and leak-free processes after the Congress government came to power in the State.

“The State government is committed to implementing a structured job calendar and adopting a scientific and systematic approach to recruitment. Youth should not be misled by political rhetoric,” Sridhar Babu urged.

The Minister further charged that Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government weakened recruitment systems during its decade-long rule and caused severe distress to job aspirants.

The concern expressed by BRS leaders for unemployed youth lacks credibility. The recruitment processes were repeatedly delayed, mismanaged and marred by paper leaks causing hardship to lakhs of job aspirants, he alleged.