COIMBATORE: Now, who does not want a government job! Given the uncertain times we live in, it emerges as the go-to sector.
However, when a sea of graduates descended upon the city corporation office for a job interview on Wednesday, the scenes that unfolded were a damning indictment of our higher education system.
Among the well educated eyeing the 549 vacancies of Grade-I sanitary worker, requiring a minimum educational qualification of class X pass, were BSc, MSc, BE and MCom graduates. Rough estimates pegged the number of applicants at 7,000.
Apart from graduates, swelling up the ranks were homemakers, construction workers, and even contract workers of the city corporation.
The hordes of applicants also comprised those employed in the private sector as well.
The reason: A permanent job. Though many seemed unaware of the basic pay earmarked for the sanitary workers, a few said that they would not think twice before taking up the job, if selected.
“The post of a sanitary worker cannot be termed lowly, as every profession is important,” said a BE graduate from Variety Hall Road, S Vignesh, whose inspiration lay in running his family, comprising his mother and younger brother.
A number of applicants was contract sanitary workers, with an overall work experience spanning 9 to 15 years.
P Eswari, a contract worker with over 15 years of experience under her belt, said she wanted to apply for the permanent post as the corporation was holding such an interview after several years.
The corporation mandates the applicants to be able to read and write Tamil for the permanent job that offers salary in the pay band of Rs 15,700-Rs 50,000.
The interview process that commenced on Wednesday would continue till Friday; after verification of the certificates, shortlisted applicants would be notified.