Why Not Provide Job To Thousands Of Trained Trade Apprentices Of Ordnance Factories?

OPINION PIECE

Responding to the decision taken by the Ministry of Defence to provide 10% reservation in job to Agniveers in Indian Costguard,Defence Civilian posts and 16 DPSUs including the new 7 Ordnance Factory Corporations, General Secretary of AIDEF, C. Srikumar stated offers his bit of advice to the government which is listed below –

The Country is burning. Its an outcome of the anger and discontentment of the unemployed youngsters who were preparing to join the Armed Forces in various stages of rigorous coaching in the Coaching Centre’s by spending a huge amount of hard earned money of their poor parents mainly Agricultural Labour’s,and Small farmers.The affected younger generation is desperate and in India people gives lot of values to Govt Service.Many Defence Experts have already rejected this Scheme of Agnipath since it will have serious adverse effect on the Technical and Professional capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces. Specialized Skill ,Training and experience is required to handle and maintain War Equipment like Artillary Guns, Small Arms, Rockets, Ammunition, Tanks, Warships, Submarines Fighter Aircraft and Helicopters etc. Another problem will be the psychological problems the unselected 75% Agniveers will face and there will be unfair and unhealthy competitions .Any way here I’m restricting my views only with regard to today’s decision of the Defence Ministry to provide 10% job reservation to Agniveers.

First of all where is the job? Post Corporatisation of Ordnance Factories the Government has categorically stared before the Defence Parliamentary Standing Committee that there will not be any future recruitment in the 41 Ordnance Factories. Almost 50,000 posts are lying vacant in the Ordnance Factories alone. First the Govt should withdraw this decision. 92,000 posts in Railways already abolished.

If the Government is so sensitive towards Unemployed youngsters then fill up all the vacancies through Trained Trade Apprentices. AIDEF is repeatedly demanding Govt to provide 60% reservation for Apprentices in jobs in accordance with Apprentice Act 1961. Let the Government issue a notification to provide job for the Trained Trade Apprentices. AIDEF is repeatedly demanding Government to provide 60% reservation for Apprentices in jobs in accordance with Apprentice Act 1961.Let the Govt issue a notification to provide job for the Trained Trade Apprentices of Ordnance Factories, DRDO, EME Workshops and Railways including Railway Production Units.

The Govt has stopped even Compassionate Appointments for the wards of the deceased employees of Ordnance Factories post Corporatisation. Even the dependents of Covid 19 victims in Defence Ministry has not been provided jobs. For more than 5 years no recruitment in the Defence Civilian posts. Govt should introspect about the impact of its decisions. The Constitutional provisions of 27% job reservation for OBCs, 15% for SCs 7.5% for ST, 10% for economically downtrodden Forward Community, 10% for Ex Servicemen, 4 % for physically disabled are only in paper. This new announcement of 10% Agniveer should not have the same fate.

If the Government is sensitive towards the unemployed youth don’t stop with fanfare announcements. Immediately issue notification for filling up of the 10 lakh vacancies in Central Govt Departments including Ordnance Factories and 5 lakh posts in Public Sector .The Youth of the Country cannot be taken in to a drive. Inculcate confidence in them by withdrawing corporatisation, privatisation and outsourcing of jobs etc. and start recruitment action to fill up the vacancies, said C. Srikumar

What is the future of 7 Ordnance Factory Public Sector when all the Ordnance Factory Products are declared non-core and to compete with Private Sector. BEML is at the verge of sales. The Government should understand the importance of Ordnance Factories and bring it back as Govt Organization and immediately provide full workload and start recruitment process, quips Srikumar.

Views expressed here are strictly those of C. Srikumar, General Secretary, AIDEF