The 25,000 candidates who had participated in the government-organized job fair were in for a major disappointment when it turned out that the orders issued to them were not appointment orders, but a mere confirmation of their selection for the next round.

The district administration had worked tirelessly to make the event a success, and had succeeded in providing basic facilities like food, water, and sanitation. But, the core objective of the fair remained unfulfilled.

There were more than 25,000 jobs for the taking with representatives of more than 500 companies turning up to interact with the candidates. While the district administration expected around 1 lakh candidates, the actual numbers turned out to be much higher, at 1.5 lakhs. According to one of the graduate job seekers, the representatives were finding it difficult to handle the crowds and asked the selected candidates to turn up for the final interview at the company. “Even in the offer certificates, it was mentioned that the candidate has been selected for the final round and not for the post,” he said.

He told the Covai Post that representatives from the companies collected the resumes, asked a few questions and gave the selection orders promptly.

But, things were different for jobs like helpers and trainees. They were selected on the spot. “A few persons were assured of a job but the appointment orders were not given,” a female candidate said.

She also said that the companies had sent low-ranked representatives for the job fair as it was a mere selection process. “Some of them were entry-level employees, not even from the HR department,” she alleged.

But, representatives from the companies clarified that giving appointment orders after such a brief interaction was not possible. “Selecting a candidate on the spot after a two-question round is not right because it only gave us an introduction of the candidate. We have to assess the skills of the candidate,” said a recruiter.

Another recruiter said that most of the candidates who come for job fairs will not turn up for the job once selected and that was also the reason behind the companies not appointing people on the spot. “We can select only those who can work with us, not the ones who are trying to evaluate if they are employable and then move away to other companies after being appointed. That is why we ask them to come back again,” he said.

Meanwhile, the district administration said that as many as 10,155 job offers were issued at the fair. This includes 14 differently-abled persons. As many as 14,503 persons registered for skill development training. 938 candidates have also registered for overseas jobs.

The job offers were distributed by P. Mohan, Minister of Rural Industries; P. Thangamani, the Minister of Industries; and S.P. Velumani, the Minister of Rural Development and Municipal Administration. Gagandeep Singh Bedi, the Secretary to the State for the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, and District Collector Archana Patnaik were also present during the event.