Tripura Govt prioritizes merit over politics in job recruitment: CM

Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr Manik Saha on Wednesday  said that the present state government is prioritizing qualified and talented individuals in providing employment and job opportunities without considering political affiliations. 

Dr Saha said this while inaugurating the distribution of appointment letters for Multitasking Staff and various other posts at Swami Vivekananda Maidan, Agartala, in the virtual presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. During the event, nine individuals received their offer letters on the stage.

"The distribution of appointment letters is underway for candidates selected through the Joint Recruitment Board Tripura (JRBT) for Multi-Tasking Staff (Group D), Pharmacists, and Lab Technicians under the Health Department. The examination was conducted by JRBT to fill vacancies across 37 departments of the Tripura Government, including 2,437 Multi-Tasking Staff (Group D) positions. These candidates have now received their offer letters. Additionally, 369 posts have been filled for Pharmacists and Lab Technicians under the Health Department, bringing the total to 2,806 appointments. This marks a significant milestone in the state's recruitment process," he said. 

Dr Saha emphasized that the state government has undertaken several initiatives to provide employment and job opportunities to unemployed youth. 

"Through a transparent policy, we are providing jobs. Recruitment processes across various departments are ongoing. We are hiring through TET, JRBT, and TPSC, ensuring a fair process where no one has to approach the court for justice regarding job recruitments. We have seen what happened over the past 35 years, where people had to knock on the court's doors regarding recruitment processes. Now, we prioritize qualified and talented individuals without considering political affiliations," he said. 

Dr Saha further stated that, through JRBT, around 1,980 individuals were recruited into Group C, Agriculture Assistant, and other positions across various departments in 2023. 

"This is a historic achievement in the recruitment of Group C employees as well. To ensure employment opportunities for the state's youth, we have made the Permanent Resident of Tripura Certificate (PRTC) mandatory, something the previous government never did. Between 2018 and 2024, a total of 16,411 individuals have been recruited across different government departments. Additionally, around 5,771 individuals were hired on a contractual or outsourcing basis. We have made several decisions to facilitate more recruitments and are also utilizing different agencies for hiring," he said. 

He further stated that a total of three Model Career Centers have been established in Agartala, Dharmanagar, and Kailashahar. 

"We are also organizing job fairs. From the 2018-19 financial year to the present, a total of 96 job fairs have been conducted, providing employment to approximately 2,135 youth in private organizations. Currently, 52,460 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are operational, connecting around 4,73,000 members. Under the Skill Development Department, we are conducting training programs for unemployed youth. In the 2023-24 financial year, the Mukhyamantri Dakhyata Unnayan Prakalpa was launched, and over the past five years, around 22,000 youth have secured jobs in different states. Employment opportunities have also been generated through cooperative initiatives," said the Chief Minister. 

Dr Saha further informed that, as per a periodic survey conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, known as the Periodic Labour Force Survey, Tripura's unemployment rate was higher than the national average in 2018-19. However, over the past four years, the state's unemployment rate has fallen below the national average. 

"In the 2023-24 financial year, Tripura's unemployment rate stands at 1.7%, compared to the national average of 3.2%. Employees are essential for running the administration and implementing various government schemes for the people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken steps to make the country corruption-free, and we are working in the same direction," he added. 

During the event, Cabinet Ministers Pranajit Singha Roy, Ratan Lal Nath, Sushanta Chowdhury, Santana Chakma, Shukla Charan Noatia, Tinku Roy, Bikas Debbarma, Sudhangshu Das, Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha, and Secretary P.K. Chakraborty were present.