The rules state that once a degree holder gets a job as a linesman or JE, he has to be promoted to the rank of an SDO within three years. This means that once these employees get promoted, the posts of JEs once again fall vacant.
Significantly, figures culled from various sources, including drug de-addiction centres, go on the reveal that majority of youths on drugs comprise of unemployed youngsters.
With these corporations shutting their doors on these students, more than 1.5 lakh youths are running from pillar to post to get employment in the state.
PSEB was once the biggest employer of diploma holders but now the engineering pass-outs are doing menial jobs in shopping malls and private shops. Those who are left out of the increasingly decreasing job market get hooked on to drugs.
JS Nanowalia, State Secretary of the Punjab Diploma Engineers Association, said the phenomenon of young engineering students getting hooked to dope was assuming alarming proportions. “There are 15,000 such students in Majha alone. A majority are working on jobs which do not require engineering qualifications. The rest are on drugs. The PSPCL and the PSTCL should amend its policy of recruiting only degree holders as linesmen and JEs,” he added.
