Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia has formally requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to establish a dedicated Regional Recruitment Centre in Guwahati. In a letter dated June 10, Saikia argued that such a facility is essential to manage recruitment for central government offices, public sector undertakings, and banks operating across the Northeast.
Saikia pointed to the Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025 to illustrate the severity of the local unemployment crisis. The data indicates that Assam suffers from an overall unemployment rate of 3.7 per cent, which exceeds the national average of 3.1 per cent. The situation is particularly stark for the youth, with urban female youth unemployment reaching 30.8 per cent.
The Congress leader explained that current recruitment processes for organizations like the Railways, the Staff Selection Commission, and Oil India frequently require candidates to travel to metropolitan cities outside the region for examinations. He noted that this structure forces aspirants to incur significant travel and accommodation costs, putting them at a disadvantage. Saikia stated, "The absence of a regional recruitment mechanism has resulted in local youth facing disadvantages in accessing employment opportunities available within the Northeast itself."
To solve these issues, Saikia proposed that the central government allocate 500 crore rupees to launch the Guwahati centre within six months. He also advocated for a new hiring policy that reserves 70 per cent of positions up to the Deputy Manager and Grade III levels for local candidates from the eight Northeastern states. He suggested that lower-tier administrative roles should be filled entirely by local applicants. Saikia maintained that these reforms would help reduce regional economic disparities and ensure that central institutions better serve the local population.
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