Dharwad: Job aspirants under the banners of Janasamanyara Vedike and Udyogakankshigala Horata Samiti have declared that they will go ahead with their planned protest rally in Dharwad on Dec 1, even though police have denied permission. The groups are demanding that the govt begin recruitment to thousands of vacant posts across various departments.A senior police officer said authorities noticed that the organisers had called for a protest on social media, including a night-long demonstration that would block key junctions. He recalled that during an earlier rally, traffic at Jubilee Circle in Dharwad was halted for nearly five hours, severely disrupting daily life. “Citing these concerns, police denied approval for the rally,” he said. However, Vedike convener Yallappa Hegade rejected the police stance. He said the uncertainty surrounding govt recruitment has pushed the futures of lakhs of students into jeopardy. “Around 25,000 youth will march from Shrinagar to the deputy commissioner’s office on Monday,” he told reporters.Hegade said the rally aims to urge the govt to announce a clear policy during the upcoming winter session of the state legislature to fill all vacant posts. According to him, 2.8 lakh posts remain unfilled across 43 state govt departments, while the Union govt has over 7.8 lakh vacancies. “Yet no major recruitment drives are being undertaken. Several unemployed youth have even taken their own lives,” he added.The organisations have also put forth several demands: raising the upper age limit for all govt recruitment by five years, resolving confusion over internal reservation, setting up Indira Canteens for job seekers, reducing application fees, and publishing an annual recruitment calendar.
