Mumbai:
If you have studied up to the fourth standard, you can be a peon in a government office. But a visit to Mantralaya may force you to think twice about this criterion. For, more than 50% of the peons employed in the publicity department are at least graduates.
Of the 22 peons appointed a few months ago, 12 are either degree holders or with masters degrees in various subjects.
Job security has prompted well-qualified youths to search for vacancies in the government machinery, even if they are of Grade IV category.
It's not only finance but personal satisfaction too that seem to lure young men into such jobs. When some of them were spoken to, they admitted this. "We draw a salary of Rs9,000 per month which is more than I had been drawing in my job as a transport supervisor in a private company. There were breaks after every six months which use to put a big question mark for my future. Here, we will be confirmed after three years of service," said one.
Another peon in the department said that working hours and the number of working days in government service are comparatively less. "We get 30 days of earned leave, 20 days of medical and eight casual leave, apart from all the Sundays and two Saturdays in a month. You cannot enjoy this in private jobs," he said.
When it comes to marriage in rural areas, a man with a government service will get preference over an executive in a private firm. "Again, based on qualification we get opportunities of promotions to posts of clerks after some years," said another peon. But he hastily added that these posts do not come without greasing the palms of higher ups.
According to an official who was instrumental in their appointment, rise in wages after implementation of the sixth pay commission has lured the young lot more to government jobs. The 22 posts had attracted more than 4,000 applications across the state.
"However, the risk of their quitting for better opportunities is also high. Two of them have already left for upper posts. I think time has come for the government to think for an upper cap for recruitment to posts that requires low qualification," he said.
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