Bengaluru, Feb 24 (IANS) Reacting to the protest by government job aspirants in Dharwad, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Tuesday, urged to focus on education and assured faster recruitment.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has issued an official statement in this regard.

“I appeal to all the aspirants to continue focusing on your education, skill-building, and preparation with confidence and patience. Karnataka’s youth are the architects of our future. Your perseverance inspires us. My government stands firmly with you, not just in words, but in action. We will ensure opportunities are expanded, dreams are protected, and public service remains a noble and attainable path for every deserving young mind,” the Chief Minister said.

“I want to assure that the process of filling the remaining vacancies is ongoing and will be further accelerated in a transparent, systematic, and time-bound manner. We are taking all necessary administrative and policy measures to recruit for more positions in the coming years and to strengthen recruitment institutions so that such backlogs do not recur,” he added.

“This is not merely about filling posts; it is about rebuilding administrative capacity, restoring fairness in recruitment, and ensuring that every deserving candidate, across regions and communities, receives equal opportunity,” CM Siddaramaiah said.

“I take serious note of the ongoing protests by government job aspirants in Dharwad. I understand the anxiety, frustration, and uncertainty that many of our government job aspirants are experiencing. Behind every application is a dream, a family’s hope, years of hard work, and an aspiration to serve Karnataka. As Chief Minister, I want every student to know that your concerns are heard, and your future matters deeply to us,” he assured.

“When we assumed office, more than 2.64 lakh government posts were vacant. This massive backlog did not arise overnight, it was the result of prolonged inaction under the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government, which failed to initiate timely recruitments or create a structured roadmap to fill vacancies.”

“It is deeply unfortunate that opposition BJP leaders are choosing to mislead innocent students even now to serve their narrow political interests. Instead of encouraging aspirants to stay focused on their preparation and future, they are attempting to instigate unrest.”

“The present situation is largely a consequence of the series of recruitment irregularities and corruption scams between 2019 and 2023, which eroded trust in the system and resulted in a massive backlog of vacancies. Our (Congress) government is committed to restoring credibility, transparency, and stability in the recruitment process,” CM Siddaramaiah said.

“At the same time, several recruitment processes had to be temporarily stalled due to legal challenges surrounding internal reservation, which was under consideration before the courts. As a government committed to constitutional propriety and social justice, we chose to act responsibly within the framework of law rather than rush decisions that could jeopardise the careers of thousands of candidates,” he noted.

He also said that despite these structural and legal constraints the current state government has moved with determination and integrity.

“In the last 2.5 years alone, more than 40,000 job recruitments have been completed across departments. We are also conscious that many job aspirants have waited for years due to delays beyond their control. Recognising this hardship, the state government has relaxed the age criteria by more than five years for upcoming recruitments, ensuring that deserving candidates are not unfairly excluded because of systemic delays.”

–IANS

mka/khz