The All-India Youth Federation (AIYF) recently hosted a crucial meeting titled ‘Grievances of the Unemployed’ on Wednesday, September 17th. During this event, various speakers highlighted the severe struggles faced by countless young people in Andhra Pradesh who are patiently, and often fruitlessly, waiting for job opportunities. A central demand from the federation was for the state government to promptly issue a White Paper detailing all vacant positions across its numerous departments.
Among the prominent voices at the conference were CPI State general secretary K. Ramakrishna, esteemed political analyst T. Lakshmi Narayana, and former AIYF national secretary G. Eshwaraiah. All three strongly reiterated the call for a White Paper, specifically pointing to an astounding 3.2 lakh estimated vacancies within state government departments.
The speakers didn’t hold back, criticizing the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition government for what they perceive as a gross failure to tackle the escalating unemployment crisis. They argued that the government had not only fallen short on its promise to generate 20 lakh jobs and provide unemployment allowances, but was also actively promoting privatization policies, further exacerbating the problem.
Further criticisms were leveled against the government for the termination of several employee groups, including volunteers, ration vehicle workers, and Andhra Pradesh Beverages Corporation employees. They also condemned the decision to conduct the District Selection Committee (DSC) exam for merely 16,000 positions, despite there being a reported 54,000 actual vacancies in the state. Specific demands included a dedicated DSC for 2,260 posts, urgent measures to fill librarian roles and clear backlog vacancies for SC/ST communities, and the immediate recruitment of 3,480 professors in public universities.
Reinforcing the urgency of the situation, the speakers cited the government’s own Skill Census Survey, which shockingly revealed that 1.56 crore individuals aged 18-50 in the state are currently unemployed. To address this dire situation, they passionately urged the government to initiate a discussion on unemployment within the Assembly, establish a dedicated Cabinet sub-committee to address the issue, disburse unemployment allowances, and promptly fill all vacant teaching and non-teaching positions.