PM pledges to recruit 20,000 unemployed graduates as development assistants

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says 20,000 unemployed graduates will be recruited to government service as development assistants.

Speaking at a function held in Eravur on Sunday, the Premier said the program to recruit the graduates was delayed as a result of country’s debt burden.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said he discussed with the Chief Minister of Northern Province about unemployment and shortage of teachers in the Province. He added that as a result of discussions conducted with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education, 1,700 graduates will be recruited to the teaching service in the Northern Province.

The Premier noted that the unemployed graduates are a huge burden to the country. Applications have been forwarded to recruit 20,000 development assistants from all over the country. They will be dispatched to different services after being provided better training.

He said the recruitment of the graduates delayed as a result of financial restrictions. He added that the country was trapped in a huge debt crisis when the current government came to power in 2015. The event was organised to declare open the new urban council building in Eravur built at a cost of Rs. 100 million.

The Prime Minister also opened the newly-built urban council building in Kattankudy, which was constructed at a cost of Rs. 520 million.

Minister Rauf Hakeem, Governor of Eastern Province Rohitha Bogollagama, Chief Minister Nazeer Ahamed and several parliamentarians were present at the occasions.