More than 33,000 to get govt jobs, says Mamata

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced in the state Assembly on Wednesday that state government would recruit more than 33,000 employees under various categories. The decision was taken in wake of the vacancies created in various departments of the state government due to retirement of a number of employees. Banerjee said 33,687 posts will be filled up in total, of which the number of unreserved posts stand at 18,527. The total number of reserved vacancies is 15,160 of which 7,411 are for SC, 2,021 for ST, 5,728 for other backward classes and 1,347 posts are reserved for the differently-abled.

"We have decided to fill up these vacant posts to ensure better services to the common people. The Staff Selection Commission is also being revived," Banerjee said. She said a yearly aid of Rs 5,000 will be disbursed for empowerment of Self Help Groups in the state.

The Self Help Groups (SHG) registered for a period of one year or more will be entitled for the benefit. "The number of SHG groups in the state is at present 9.69 lakh and 98 per cent of these groups are led by women. There are about 1 crore members in SHG groups in Bengal," Banerjee said.

According to the Chief Minister , the government plans to spend Rs 500 crore on Self Help Groups. "We are committed to empower and help poor women folk to be self reliant in urban and rural areas," she said.

Bank loan disbursal for SHGs in the state has seen an increase during the Trinamool Congress government. The amount of loan which was Rs 553 crore in 2010-11 increased to Rs 7,000 in 2018-19. The state government is also providing subsidies to the SHGs so that they repay the bank loan at an interest rate of 2 per cent.

"The number of SHGs, which was 4.72 lakh in 2010-11, has increased many folds showing the emphasis of our government in this regard," Banerjee said.