Bhubaneswar: Unemployed engineering students set fire to their certificates in protest against Odisha’s government’s failure in providing them employment on Monday.
The students with engineering diploma and degree certificates staged a dharna in front of the ‘Secha Bhavan’, the office of Water Resources department, in Bhubaneswar to draw the attention of the government to their demand for employment in the morning.
The agitating students said they have held several rounds of meetings with the government officials to discuss their demands. But no fruitful decision could be taken at the meetings.
“We have been seeking government jobs since after passing out of engineering courses around one and a half years back. We have been making rounds of the government departments since then. But neither the government officials are not taking any steps nor we are able to find employment,” said one of the agitating students.
Frustrated by the government’s indifference to their plight, they resorted to the agitation. Even after sitting on dharna for the entire day, no official came forward to listen to their demand.
“Since our certificates hold no value and protests failed to draw the government’s attention, we decided to burn our certificates,” they said.
