Chandigarh: A fresh controversy has erupted in Punjab over the recruitment process in state government departments, with growing resentment among the unemployed youth of the state. Despite thousands of young Punjabis struggling to secure government jobs, outsiders are being appointed in significant numbers, raising questions about the state government’s hiring policies.
The issue came into sharp focus after revelations that of the 42 Junior Engineers recently recruited in the Local Government Department by the Aam Aadmi Party government, 10 candidates are from Haryana and one from Chandigarh UT — meaning nearly 25% of the posts have gone to non-Punjabis. Critics argue that this is a direct injustice to local candidates who have been preparing for years but continue to run from pillar to post for employment.
Former legislators and activists have pointed out that if Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan had adopted the Private Member Bill submitted in January 2023 to bar non-Punjabis from securing state government jobs, all these posts would have gone to deserving youth from Punjab. With reverse migration being a major challenge, observers fear that such recruitment practices will only fuel the exodus of Punjabi youth to foreign countries in search of work. Many have now demanded urgent corrective measures to ensure Punjab’s own youth are given first priority in state government jobs.
