Ahead of Assam polls, Sonowal govt holds teacher recruitment drive, 29,701 get jobs

CM Sarbananda Sonowal, who also spoke at the appointment letter distribution ceremony, said he had made an announcement last August 15 that the state government would give 50,000 jobs.

CM Sarbananda Sonowal and state minister Himanta Biswa Sarma handling over appointment letter to a teacher. (Photo | Twitter/@himantabiswa)

GUWAHATI: Eye on the upcoming Assembly elections, Assam on Friday carried out the largest recruitment drive in recent years by giving jobs to 29,701 teachers.

“Largest Recruitment Drive Ever! 16,484 are being provincialised today and we’ll be distributing appt letters to 29,701 teachers incl 13,217 fresh recruits, at Sarusajai stadium,” Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had tweeted ahead of the distribution of appointment letters at a ceremony in Guwahati.

The 13,217 fresh recruits had cleared the Teachers’ Eligibility Test. The 16,484 others had been serving in non-provincialised schools for years, some for decades. A section of them has barely one-two years left in service.

Speaking at the programme, Sarma said ensuring education and health to the people is the primary responsibility of a government.

“There are some among you who will attain the age of retirement in a few years. The prime time of many of your lives has got wasted. This situation was created by our predecessors. The previous governments should have taken the responsibility of establishing schools,” the minister said.

Largest Recruitment Drive! Distribution of appointment letters to 29701 teachers , at Sarusajai stadium.Largest Recruitment Drive! Distribution of appointment letters to 29701 teachers , at Sarusajai stadium. https://t.co/3FFtqaVZJj

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 5, 2021

He appealed to people not to open schools and colleges. He said if a school or a college is needed somewhere, people should apply to the government and it would get the institute established.

Sarma advised that schools and colleges, which were set up before 2006, should be turned into private institutes.

“People who opened schools and colleges before 2006, they should convert those to private institutes. Do not approach the government for provincialisation anymore,” he said.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who also spoke, said he had made an announcement on August 15 last year that the state government would give 50,000 jobs.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given us the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat. If we want to achieve it, we shall have to first build Atmanirbhar Assam. The teachers will have an important role to play in it. They shall have to ensure a skilled future generation which can compete all over the world,” Sonowal said.