Balochistan job vacancies

SOHBAT PUR: A recent news report revealed that some 35,000 jobs are lying vacant in various departments of Balochistan, towards which I want to bring the government’s attention. Balochistan is a province where unemployment causes suicides, poverty is depriving people of basic necessities of life, child labour is rife, and the non-fulfillment of such huge number of posts is like pouring salt on the injuries of the masses.

Although the chief secretary ordered the filling of these vacancies without wasting time, it is an uphill task considering the track record and red tape in the recruitment process. Failure to fulfill the posts in six months would mean a lapse of resources allocated for the posts. Here are a few suggestions to get the job done on time.

A special committee should be formed, comprising of representatives from all concerned departments headed by the chief secretary. All jobs should be advertised and candidates may be asked to specify priority of jobs and departments, much like the CSS exam where jobs would be allocated according to preference and merit. The test should be conducted through a third-party service to ensure merit. The fee should be minimal. A single application form should be designed for applying to multiple jobs to relieve staff of extra workload. Jobs categories should be on the basis of qualification and grade so that an applicant can apply according to his qualification in various departments with ease.

Because Balochistan is currently at a low on all socioeconomic indicators, these employment opportunities could become a blessing, subject to sincere effort by all stakeholders. Hopefully, the bureaucracy and government will make sure all opportunities are made available to the poor and educated youth of Balochistan.

Rashid Hussain

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2016.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.