Unemployment exchanges in Haryana: Lakhs registered, few end up getting placed

The government carries out major recruitment drives for the police force or for teachers and doctors, but thousands who fall outside this net are still flocking to the state’s employment exchanges in spite of the declining role of the employment department in job placement.

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The RTI responses reveal that for most, it is a futile exercise. Haryana’s employment exchanges are doing little more than disbursing “unemployment allowance” to thousands of applicants who enroll with the state’s employment exchange in hope of getting a job.

The Indian Express, accessed the employment figures (January 1, 2004 till January 31, 2015) from these employment exchanges across the state, under Right to Information Act. The data reveals that the number of applicants is declining over the years. But while the applicants are still in the tens of thousands, not even one per cent of those who enroll with the exchanges find jobs through them. Some do get placed, but mainly in daily wage jobs, a peon, a plumber or other menial jobs.

Sample this: For the given period, in Ambala district an average of 40,000-55,000 candidates registered with the employment exchange, per year. However, it was shocking to see the figures of those who got enrolled. An official at Ambala Employment Exchange claimed, “We have destroyed the record from 2004 till 2009.” In 2010, 48,542 unemployed youth registered themselves with Ambala employment exchange, merely six got placed (two each as peons and sweepers and two water boys). In 2011, 46,321 registered themselves, 19 got jobs (One clerk, 15 peons, 2 water boys and 1 chowkidar); in 2012, 43,227 registered and merely three got jobs (One water boy and two office attendants), in 2013, 39,366 registered and none got job, while in 2014, 34,404 registered and 17 got jobs (11 sweepers, one maali and five peons). Till January 31, 2015, 35,791 applicants registered and 17 got jobs (Five peons and 12 sweepers).

Not all who enroll with employment exchanges meet the government’s laid down criteria for unemployment allowance either, evident from the fact that in 2005, out of 63,040 applicants, merely 1019 got unemployment allowance and in 2014, out of 34,404 unemployed applicants, 459 got unemployment allowance.

The situation is equally dismal in other districts as well. In Panchkula, for the given period, merely 29 persons got employment through employment exchange, while the average unemployment registration was 11,000-12,000 per year.

For the same period, in Yamunanagar, an average of 4,300-5,300 applicants registered with the employment exchange. Merely 38 got placed and that too as sanitary supervisor, water boy, peon and sweepers.

In Kurukshetra, the average registration of unemployed youth is 33,000-45,000 per year. However, from 2010 till December 31, 2014, merely 56 got jobs. Kurukshetra employment exchange also claims it has destroyed the records of year 2004-2009 . All those who got jobs again ended up being peons, supervisors, sweepers etc.

In Kaithal too, the average registration of unemployed youth is 4,000-5,000 per year. However, for the given period, merely 103 got jobs. The total unemployed youth registration from 2004 till 2014 end is 55,646 as per the Kaithal employment exchange.

For the given period, in Rohtak, 1,49,160 persons enrolled with the employment exchange and 733 got jobs. Similarly, in Sonipat, a total of 1,16,350 youth enrolled and 1090 got jobs, most of them as daily wagers and that too on contract basis.

In Jhajjar, an average of 7,000-10,000 enrolled annually with the employment exchange and 1,193 got jobs. In Panipat, 74,301 registered as unemployed and merely 40 got jobs, mostly as sanitary supervisors and office assistants, sweepers and a few as clerks and computer operators. In Fatehabad, out of a total 62,027 unemployed youth, 29 got jobs in a span of 10 years.

In Karnal also, an average of 55,000-60,000 registered as unemployed per year and merely 866 got jobs, mostly as electrician, cook, sweepers and peons etc. The situation was similar in other employment exchanges of Sirsa, Bhiwani, Fatehabad, Hisar, Jind etc.

Although the RTI replies did not mention anything about any jobs being provided through job fairs by the employment exchanges, the department’s website claims that till December 2012, the department had placed 30,265 persons in private sector out of 8,19,992 unemployed youth registered.

‘No longer a sponsoring department for jobs’
Ramesh Krishan, Director, (Employment), said, “Employment department is no more a sponsoring department for jobs. Earlier, the employment department was the prime sponsor of candidates in various government departments as well as in private sector. Nearly 15 years ago, the Punjab and Haryana High Court gave a ruling and said a simultaneous advertisement procedure needs to be followed. Thus, the significance of the employment department started fading. The two primary objectives of the department these days is to conduct career counselling for candidates and disburse unemployment allowance.”

A Haryana Public Service Commission member, however, told The Indian Express that employment exchanges would soon offer more placements. “The present government is  going to advertise a large number of posts in various fields including health, education, police and revenue. When the present government took over, it withdrew all the recruitments that were going on those days in order to ensure transparency.”