CHENNAI: Reflecting the state of acute unemployment in Tamil Nadu, as many as 4,067 persons have applied for filling up mere 14 conservancy staff 'D grade' posts in the State Legislative Assembly, being selected by direct interview.
The Assembly secretariat is seeing a peculiar situation of interviewing hundreds of candidates every day for the past few days, though the minimum qualification for the posts of sweepers and sanitary workers was prescribed as eighth class pass. But there has been a huge response for these posts.
Out of the 4,067 applications, 677 were rejected for various procedural reasons. Nearly 300 of the aspirants are engineering graduates. A deputy secretary level officer in the Assembly secretariat is conducting the interviews and officials are surprised and shocked that so many over-qualified persons have applied for just 14 posts.
One of the aspirants said despite being a B.E. qualified, he applied for the post as it was a 'Government job', which would help him to get a good matrimonial match and "settle down in life". The salary offered by the government seems even better than what private companies offered for a B.E. graduate, he said.
There is talk outside the corridors of the secretariat that in view of the large number applications, a hefty premium is going for filling these 14 posts, which have a pay scale Rs.15K-Rs.50K.
