In poll bound Punjab, MCAs, techies among 19,000 vying for class IV posts

BATHINDA: Aspirants having B Tech, master of computer applications (MCA) and postgraduate degrees are among 19,000 applicants for 34 posts of peons and process servers at Bathinda district courts.
These are Class IV category jobs having a monthly salary of just Rs 4,900. The required educational qualification for a process server and peon is Class X and Class VIII, respectively. This brings to fore the reality of joblessness in Punjab at a time when political parties are wooing unemployed youth with job promises.
The number of persons registered with employment exchanges in Punjab till December 2014 was 3,61,299.
Apart from this, nearly this, nearly 5,500 candidates have applied for the written entrance examination for 11 posts of clerks on January 22. The job falls in the Class III category and pays Rs 10,300month. While pe ons and process servers will be confirmed after three years with a pay scale of Rs 4,900­Rs 10,680 plus the grade pay of Rs 1,650, the job of a clerk is contractual.
Unmoved by the political parties' poll talk, most job aspirants have decided to opt for the NOTA (none of the above) option in the February 4 elections. In December 2016, Bathinda district courts had advertised 13 posts of process servers, 21 posts of peons and 11 ad hoc posts of clerks. Bathinda district courts chief administrative officer (CAO) Ashok Kumar Mehta said, “Nearly 10,000 persons applied for 21 posts of peons, 9,000 for 13 posts of process servers, and 5,500 for 11 posts of clerks.Process for selection is on.“
Sushil Kumar, 30, from Abohar, who is a B Tech said, “I failed to get any job in the last many years and decided to try for a Class IV one.“ He said all parties only tried to use the youth for their own interests.“I will vote for NOTA,“ he said.
Another aspirant, Sudhir Kumar (28) from Abohar, an MCA, said, “I failed to get a job in IT companies. Now I have decided to try my luck here.“
Savleen Kaur, 29, a graduate in humanities who is married in Mansa town, said she was ready to take up the job for which she was overqualified as she wanted to support her family .
A physically-challenged candidate, Sandeep Singh (32) from Sangatpura village in Sangrur district, said he had a diploma in arts and craft teaching but was ready to work as peon.
Former Punjab finance minister and Congress candidate from Bathinda Urban constituency , Manpreet Singh Badal said his party had already declared in its manifesto that one member from each family in the state would be provided a job. The SAD candidate from Bathinda Urban and sitting MLA, Sarup Chand Singla, said, “We provided jobs to 2.5 lakh youths in the last 10 years.“