Port Blair, Apr 18: The meeting of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) held at Port Blair recently demanded Unemployment Allowance to unemployed youth of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. In a resolution adopted in the meeting the DYFI noted with grave concern that unemployment is rising in the islands and there is no tangible efforts on the part of the central government to set up any industry or establishment to provide jobs to the youth of these islands. Unemployed youth are facing hardship even to meet their personal expenses in the absence of any income. These youth are forced to depend upon the income of their parents for their livelihood and other expenses.
The meeting noted that in States like Kerala, Unemployment Allowance is given to unemployed youth upto certain age or till they get any job. This is a great relief to the unemployed youths as they can minimize their dependence on parents and others for their personal expenses. The meeting of Democratic Youth Federation of India held at Port Blair resolved to urge upon the central government and Andaman & Nicobar Administration to grant Unemployment Allowance to all the unemployed local youth who have registered their names with the local Employment Exchange as has been done in States like Kerala. The meeting also demanded that the Unemployment Allowance be granted at the rate of rupees one thousand to each unemployed youth per month in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Through another resolution DYFI meeting held at Port Blair noted with grave concern and anguish that about 13,000 posts of various categories are lying vacant in various departments under the Andaman & Nicobar Administration. These posts are kept vacant at a time when nearly one lakh unemployed youths of these islands are waiting for a job. The meeting noted that during the last several years, various organizations have been demanding to fill up these posts, but no action seems to have been taken to fill up these posts except the posts of LGC, etc. through the Recruitment Cell of the Administration. In the absence of any private sector job, young people in the islands look upon government departments for a job.
The meeting of DYFI called upon the central government and Andaman & Nicobar Administration to take immediate concrete steps to fill up all the vacant posts under the Andaman & Nicobar Administration in order to minimize the rising unemployment in this backward union territory.
The DYFI meeting held at Port Blair recently noted with grave concern that a good number of jobs in the government departments in Andaman & Nicobar Islands are being taken away by the candidates from mainland that are in a better position as compared to the local youths here. Due to the online process of recruitment and other factors, the candidates from mainland in large numbers apply for each post under the A & N Administration and a number of them are being selected automatically. The Supreme Court had struck down the decision of the Govt. of India to earmark 100% jobs to local youths through an Executive order, and held that legislation in Parliament can only make any provision for complete jobs to the candidates of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The DYFI meeting noted with concern that despite passage of three decades of such a verdict of the Supreme Court, no steps has been taken by the successive central governments in this regard and urged the central government and A & N Administration to take immediate action to ensure that the entire government jobs in Andaman & Nicobar Islands are earmarked for the local youths and thus prevent candidates from mainland grabbing whatever job opportunity available in the islands.
