Merit-based recruitment echo in hinterland of Haryana

About 150 km away, in Mithee Surera, a village near the Rajasthan border, Rajinder, also a labourer, celebrates his daughter’s recent selection in the Delhi Police. At least 30 youth from Mithee Surera village of over 2,600 registered voters hailing from the ‘36 biradri’ were recruited in the Haryana government in different permanent posts like lecturer, school master and a sub-inspector in last five years, says Mohan Lal.

Ramesh Kumar, a daily wage labourer from Chander Kalan village in the Tohana assembly segment of Fatehabad district, proudly shares that his son has secured a permanent government job as a lineman purely on merit. His son is the first in the family to achieve this milestone.

As the candidates in the fray are often behind the scheduled time, unemployment and recruitment on merit is among the many other hot topics of discussion among people assembled at the village chaupals waiting for the arrival of the party nominee. (HT File)

About 150 km away, in Mithee Surera, a village near the Rajasthan border, Rajinder, also a labourer, celebrates his daughter’s recent selection in the Delhi Police. At least 30 youth from Mithee Surera village of over 2,600 registered voters hailing from the ‘36 biradri’ were recruited in the Haryana government in different permanent posts like lecturer, school master and a sub-inspector in last five years, says Mohan Lal.

These are not isolated examples of Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) promise of “Binna parchi aur bina kharchi bharti”---a slogan that is resonating across Haryana’s hinterland ahead of the October 5 assembly elections.

As the candidates in the fray are often behind the scheduled time, unemployment and recruitment on merit is among the many other hot topics of discussion among people assembled at the village chaupals waiting for the arrival of the party nominee.

According to Kuldeep of Chander Kalan village in Tohana segment, at least 70 youth got regular employment in the state government. “Apart from Group-D, a few others were recruited in police also,” Suresh said, hastening to add that among those recruited are from poor families.

“About 18 people of our village were recruited as linemen alone,” says Ramesh Kumar whose son was recruited as lineman, and Shayam Lal interjects: “Is sarkaar mein bahut log lage naukri me bina kisi sifarish ke. The number of those recruited from Chander Kalan is around 70 and not 60.”

Ritesh, a youth who was not selected said that among recruited from his village were educated youth while a few others have been appointed on contractual basis also. “No one spent a penny,” Ritesh said while in another venue Liza Ram of Fatehpuri said that about 15 people of his village got permanent employment in Haryana government on merit.

However, at Bodhian Kheda village, Kuldeep Singh, a youth pursuing postgraduation and hailing from Dangra village of Tohana segment, said: “No one was selected from my village during BJP government, while during Congress regime large number of people including my uncle were among those lucky people who got government jobs.”

An identical but heated war of words erupted at Mithee Surera village of about 2,600 voters bordering Rajasthan over the recruitment issue as the villagers were waiting for Congress nominee.

“Has government done a big favour by recruiting our children?” an elderly man admonishes Rajinder, whose daughter has made it to the Delhi Police. “Sarkaar Madi nahin ji,” Rajinder counters the old man, triggering a heated war of words. “Our kids were recruited without parchi aur kharchi. Is that not a fact?” Kishan Kumar, another villager, says.

Endorsing these views, Om Parkash, a farmer and daily wager said: “About 20 youth of our village were recruited, most of them in group-D.” But Mohan Lal and Kishan Kumar, another daily wage earners, disagree. “About 30 boys and girls were recruited from Mithee Surera. Five of them got big jobs like that of sub-inspector, one became a lecturer, another a master. Imaandari se naukri mili.”

In a state where government jobs have traditionally been marred by allegations of favouritism and corruption, the BJP is touting its “bina parchi, bina kharchi” recruitment policy as a landmark achievement during the campaigning.

In their public outreach programmes the BJP leaders say that in the last 10 years the BJP government in Haryana provided 1,46,000 permanent government jobs based on merit. The BJP has promised 2 lakh government jobs if voted back to power for the third consecutive term.

The beneficiaries of these merit-based recruitments are now emerging as vocal supporters of the BJP’s governance model.

“I never thought I could get a government job without the usual ‘approach’ system, but this government proved me wrong,” said a teacher recruited a year back, adding that securing a job based solely on qualification and performance and without financial transaction has been life changing.

Such testimonials are becoming a key element in the BJP’s election campaign as the party desperately tries to attract the youth who value merit over manipulation.