SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party legislator and MLA Pulwama, Waheed-ur-Rehman Para on Tuesday raised concern over rising unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir, urging the government to initiate a time-bound recruitment process to fill vacant posts.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Para said the Union Territory is facing a high unemployment rate, which he estimated at around 32 percent, and stressed the need for urgent policy intervention. He highlighted that more than 10,000 vacancies exist in the health department alone and questioned whether the government has any plan to expedite recruitment.
Para also raised concerns over the transparency of recruitment processes, noting that while the Public Service Commission (PSC) and Services Selection Board (SSB) conduct examinations, recent processes have seen complaints of paper leaks and alleged selling of question papers. He asked what steps the government is taking to ensure transparency.
Referring to earlier commitments, Para said the government had promised to introduce an employment guarantee act and provide jobs to one lakh people, but this has not materialised so far.
He emphasised that with over 30,000 vacant posts and a high unemployment rate, there is an urgent need for time-bound recruitment. He further called for a transparent and accountable system, stating that repeated allegations of paper leaks undermine trust and discourage deserving candidates.
The issue remains significant as unemployment continues to be a major concern among the youth in Jammu and Kashmir, with delays in recruitment and allegations of irregularities adding to public frustration.
