Agartala, May 1:
In a sharp counterattack to Chief Minister Manik Saha’s recent claims of transparency in recruitment, CPIM state secretary and Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury on Thursday accused the BJP-led government of misleading the public while keeping over 50,000 government posts vacant.
Referring to Wednesday’s “Offer Mela” where appointment letters were distributed to 228 TET-qualified teachers, Chaudhury mocked the event as “sprinkling a few drops of water in a desert,” arguing that the scale of vacancies across departments demands far more substantial action.
During the offer of appointment letters distribution programme Chief Minister Manik Saha claims 17,554 appointments have been made since 2018 without any court case — but that’s not even scratching the surface, Chaudhury said, citing replies received from various departments that suggest more than 50,000 posts are currently vacant across the state government.
He further challenged the government’s claims of “transparent” hiring by raising allegations that individuals from West Bengal have secured Group D jobs in Tripura, possibly using fake permanent residence certificates. “If transparency is truly being upheld, how did outsiders from Bengal manage to get jobs meant for Tripura residents?” he questioned.
Taking aim at a viral social media post, Chaudhury, a CPIM politburo member, highlighted an incident where a Nagar Panchayat or Panchayat member was suddenly seen in a jail police uniform, with no clarity on her interview, appointment or training. “This shows the recruitment process has been reduced to a farce under this regime,” he said.
Chaudhury, a former MP, also criticized the government’s failure to provide a complete account of vacancies during the recent Assembly session.
He added, “In the name of transparency, this government is hiding facts and while they allege that recruitment letters were once distributed from the party office during Left rule, they are now bypassing rules entirely to favor select individuals”.
Calling on the government to prove its accusations against the previous Left Front administration, Chaudhury said, “Truth cannot be erased by spreading falsehoods. If they are confident, let them place evidence before the public.”
The CPIM leader’s remarks add fuel to the growing debate over recruitment practices and job scarcity in the state, as opposition parties intensify pressure on the ruling BJP government on recruitment process and vaccant posts amid that the state government claiming that Tripura’s unemployment rate drops below national average, depite government appointing through transparent recruitment policy.
