Lifting Ban on Recruitment
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: September 24, 2014 -

It is indeed a welcoming decision of the State Cabinet to withdraw the long-time ban on recruitment in various departments of the State Government.

For years, the educated youths of the state have to loiter here and there looking for suitable jobs in the private sector.

The lifting of ban on recruitment in government departments would somehow give new hopes to the aspiring government employees.

Earlier, many people have been recruited in police and education departments through partial relaxation of the ban.

Moreover, state civil services including those of medical and engineering services examinations have also been conducted by the State Government after a gap of many years.

These are some landmark developments aimed at addressing the unemployment issue of the state at least to some extent. However, it is an open secret that there is always "corruption" in the recruitment of government employees.

On the darker side of this recruitment, many "helpless" youths feel that the recruitment is just an "auction of jobs" by the Government. Those who can make the highest bid obviously secure the jobs.

For a post of Sub-Inspector in police department, an aspiring candidate is compelled to gather not less than two million rupees, either by borrowing at high interest rate or selling his homestead plot. Such is the general trend of recruitment in government departments.

But, there may also be some few candidates among hundreds who are recruited solely on merit. The inefficiency of government departments can be linked to non-transparent and corrupt practices in recruitment.

An employee, who is supposed to deliver his service honestly, has been compelled to embrace corruption much before he joins the government service.

The integrity of employees has been compromised right from the inception through corrupt practices in recruitment.

Here, mere lifting ban on recruitment cannot please the "disillusioned" youths of the state. The Government must ensure full transparency and corruption-free in the recruitment process.

The competitive level of candidates will obviously rise if the recruitment is made solely on merit. The newly recruited employees can be expected to perform their duties honestly only if they enter the government service through a clean channel.

The government departments can be made efficient only through proper recruitment of employees. Stringent action should be taken against those people who try to influence the government officials at the time of recruitment.

The State Vigilance Commission should keep an eye on all recruitments in government departments. It should be the responsibility of the Government to show new hopes to the youths.

In a least industrialized state like Manipur, the desire of every person is to secure a government job.

It is impossible for the Government to create jobs for all, but for the future of this "troubled" state the recruitment has to be made fully transparent and fair with the objective of selecting the best employees without corruption and nepotism.

This will also boost the image of the government employees. The decision of the State Cabinet can be made fruitful only if the Government comes up with a new transparent policy on recruitment.

Mere lifting ban on recruitment would not make any difference if the Government continues with the "auction" mode of recruitment.

The government is for all people, and not just for a handful of moneyed people. The deserving meritorious candidates should be given an opportunity to serve the public.

Most importantly, those people in the Government should have serious concern not to make government jobs as items of auction in the market.