Sunil Chadha
Dharamshala: Former Himachal Pradesh BJP president and current MLA Satpal Singh Satti has come out strongly against the Sukhu government’s recently announced Job Trainee Policy, calling it a “ploy to save money at the cost of the youth’s future.” He alleged that rather than aiming to recruit deserving candidates, the real intent behind the policy is to avoid paying full salaries to new hires by engaging them as trainees.
Satti said the state government has consistently betrayed the trust of unemployed youth, forcing thousands to struggle on the streets in search of secure employment. He claimed that the new policy has triggered widespread anxiety among young aspirants, especially as it eliminates the traditional contract-based recruitment system for Group A, B, and C posts.
Under the policy, candidates will be appointed as trainees for a period of two years, but without any solid assurance of regularization afterward. These job trainees will not be entitled to pensions, leaves, or other benefits that regular employees receive, adding significant financial pressure on them and their families.
Satti raised serious concerns over the lack of transparency in the recruitment process, stating that the involvement of autonomous bodies and agencies is unclear — creating room for corruption and favoritism. He also criticized the policy for exploiting young professionals, who would be denied proper compensation despite performing full-time responsibilities.
Highlighting the inefficiency of the current government, Satti said, “This is the same government that is taking two and a half to almost three years to regularize employees under the existing two-year contractual system. Imagine how long they will take to conduct a second round of tests after the trainee period ends. Will there be another test in batch-wise appointments? Clearly, the aim is not to give jobs but to fill the state treasury.”
He cited the example of candidates from remote regions like Chamba, who must pay fees and travel long distances to sit for tests, calling it a form of harassment. Satti also pointed out that the Sukhu-led administration has provided only around 900 regular jobs in the last 31 months — the rest being temporary roles such as Van Mitras.
He questioned the government’s ability to conduct timely assessments, saying, “If they couldn’t hold tests in 31 months, how will they do it 24 months after hiring trainees?”
Terming the Job Trainee Policy 2025 as detrimental to the youth, Satti said it would have a long-term negative impact. “The government claims this will bring professionalism and administrative reform, but in reality, it is increasing insecurity, mental stress, and financial hardship among the youth,” he said, concluding that the policy clearly reflects the state government’s anti-youth stance.
