BENGALURU: As pressure mounts and protests intensify for recruitment to government posts, the state government plans to fill up close to 60,000 vacancies and is working with various departments to finalise the exact number.
Hundreds of job aspirants came out on the streets in Dharwad on Tuesday, expressing anger against the government for not issuing job recruitment notifications. They had protested earlier, too. Sources in the finance department said they have agreed on large-scale recruitment. “We are fine with agreeing for more. We are working with departments to finalise numbers,” they said.
Two months ago, the High Court of Karnataka had restrained the state government from increasing reservation under the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and Appointments or Posts in Services under the State) Act, 2022.
“No further notifications for recruitment or appointments on the basis of increased reservation should be issued till the petitions are disposed of. Recruitments that have already begun may be continued, but appointments should be subject to the final outcome of the present petitions,” the high court had stated.
Labour Minister Santosh Lad, who is also Dharwad District In-charge Minister, told TNIE that the state government is keen on filling up 56,000–58,000 posts. “The hearing is on March 3. Once we get clearance, notification for the posts will be issued,’’ he said. Sources said CM Siddaramaiah, who is presenting his budget on March 6, may announce it in his speech.
Karnataka has more than 7.5 lakh sanctioned posts in more than 70 government departments, of which 2.84 lakh posts are vacant at present. On average, 25,000 posts fall vacant every year. For several years, successive governments have not taken up recruitment in big numbers for various reasons, including the Covid pandemic, financial implications, legal hurdles and other issues.