PUDUKKOTTAI: The quirky banner in front of the Pudukkottai employment exchange took residents by surprise on Monday. Congratulating a 38-year-old man for renewing his employment exchange card for the 24th consecutive year despite having never received a callback, the banner erected by the man’s friends finally achieved what two decades of diligence and hope hadn’t: a call.
The man in question, K Anand Raj, is a resident of Pudukkottai town who works as a contractual driver in a private firm. “Since I completed my 10th standard, I have been registering at the employment exchange hoping I would get a call for a job.
However, till date to my disappointment, I have never heard back. Praising this ‘achievement’, my friends erected the banner when I went to renew my application," Anand Raj explained. The banner mentioned Anand Raj’s name, employment exchange number and his photo and mentioned that he had not received a single communication from the exchange in 24 years.
Since he first registered, Anand Raj has completed teacher’s training and aside from registering his educational qualifications, he’s even mentioned his driving skills in the hope of landing some job somewhere in the State. “Many people like myself register in the exchange early hoping we land some job. To improve my chances, I equipped myself over the years with additional skills including heavy vehicle driving. But, nothing has worked till date,” he rued.
Asked if he still believed he’d hear from the exchange, Anand Raj was doubtful. “Now my age has almost crossed the eligibility criteria. I am not sure I would get a call. But at least my struggle can be a lesson to the authorities to provide some help to the hundreds of youth who are qualified but are unable to find any opportunities. At least, the employment exchange can help in providing some loans based on our applications so we can start some kind of business," he said.
However, reportedly, after the banner came to the notice of the employment exchange authorities, he did receive a call from them for a training programme. The authorities reportedly assured him that he would be called up based on seniority. Its goal now achieved, the banner has since been removed from the road.