Andhra Pradesh: Ugadi brings no cheer to government job aspirants

Amaravati: Telugu New Year Day Ugadi did not bring the promised cheer to lakhs of unemployed youth as the state government did not come out with the long-delayed job recruitment calendar. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had announced on March 25 that the job calendar would be released on Ugadi and asked the officials concerned to complete the necessary formalities.

He had said that vacant posts in colleges and universities and also in the police department would be notified for recruitment. However, on the occasion of Ugadi on Tuesday, the Chief Minister only released the 'welfare calendar,' scheduling the dates for direct money transfer under various freebie schemes.

On May 30, 2019, when he was sworn in as the Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy had announced that January of every year would be the recruitment month, wherein vacant posts in government departments and organisations would be filled. Later, in September 2019, he announced that all recruitment tests for filling up government posts would henceforth be conducted from January 1 to 31 every year.

His promise was not delivered in January 2020 or 2021 though the chief secretary, in concert with other secretaries and heads of departments, was said to have listed out the vacancies in all departments.

"The posts have been identified but the finance department is yet to give the required clearance. Severe funds crunch is the main reason for the hold up," a top official said. As the state government brought in the village and (municipal) ward secretariat system in September 2019, over 1.2 lakh people were recruited for various posts.

Even in these secretariats, 8,402 posts are still vacant and, despite repeated claims by the ministers concerned, even they are not notified for filling up. About 6,100 animal husbandry assistants are also yet to be notified. About 18,000 teacher posts and 6,000 police (constables and SIs) jobs are waiting to be filled for many years. Besides, there are hundreds of posts vacant in the State Secretariat.

"We have not yet received any information from the government on the recruitment. Once we get it, we will notify the posts and complete the process," a top official of the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission, the state government's recruitment arm, told PTI.

The APPSC had in 2018-19 last issued some notifications for filling over 3,000 posts in various cadres but only a part of the process has been completed so far because of some court litigation. "Somehow, every recruitment notification issued by the APPSC is ending up in litigation," the official pointed out.

The Chief Minister wanted the commission to ensure the recruitment process to be conducted in a foolproof and transparent manner "to avoid legal hassles." The government is now said to be getting ready to come out with the recruitment calendar on possibly on May 30, the second anniversary of Jagan Mohan Reddy's swearing-in.