Tripura: BJP-led Govt Outsources Departmental Jobs to Private Firms Amid Rising Unemployment

Amid news of escalating unemployment, the Tripura Government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party has launched a shocker on the youth of the state by reportedly outsourcing a number of jobs in government departments to private firms.

This distressing news has exposed the reality of reportedly false claims made by several ministers including Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb that the BJP government in the state has provided over 23,000 government jobs since it came to power in 2018.

The circular issued by the Directorate of Employment Services and Manpower Planning, dated February 26, stated, “The Directorate of Employment Services and Manpower Planning, Government of Tripura has empanelled Agencies for supply of manpower on item rate basis to different State Government Departments.”

With this circular, the state government has dashed hopes of getting a government job for the youth of Tripura. As per the circular, the state government under CM Biplab Deb, has entered into agreement with five agencies for supplying staff to various government departments.

As reported by Northeast Now, from Group D to the official level, all types of staff will be ‘supplied’ by these five agencies. The report also highlighted that the government has handed over the recruitment of those posts where incumbents are recruited through exams held by the Tripura Public Service Commission (TPSC) to the private agencies.

The circular, signed by Naresh Babu, director of the DESMP, further stated that the agencies are slated to receive a monthly commission for the number of employees and salaries they provide.

It should be noted that the latest circular contradicts the claims of providing government jobs and employment made by various ministers of the state over time. However, this is not the first time such contradictions have come to the fore.

Earlier in January, state Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath had announced that their government had provided a total of 6,939 jobs, of which 2,733 were permanent jobs and 2,250 were on a contractual basis. Further, 1,956 government jobs were outsourced.

Interestingly, Nath’s statement was contrary to the CM’s claims a month earlier in December 2020, wherein Biplab Deb had said that their government had succeeded in providing jobs to over 23,000 youth during the tenure of 32 months.

Also read: Massive Youth Rally in Tripura Demanding Jobs and Restoration of Democracy

The CM’s statement had elicited sharp criticism from various circles. The state secretary of Democratic Youth Federation of India, Nabarun Deb, had responded saying that prior to a month the CM had claimed to provide more than 18,000 government jobs in the state. The Opposition had also criticised the state government saying that the cabinet ministers do not themselves know exactly how many people have been recruited to government posts during their tenure in the state.