The main Opposition RJD in Bihar today promised to provide 10 lakh permanent government jobs to the unemployed youths should its party come to power after the Assembly elections. The three-phase Assembly elections in the state are scheduled to begin from 28 October.

“This is not an empty promise to lure voters but my commitment. If the RJD is voted to power, a decision about filling up 10 lakh vacant posts in various government departments will be taken in the very first meeting of the Cabinet,” RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav told a Press conference here today. Tejashwi, heading the party’s campaign in the absence of his father, Lalu Prasad who is serving prison term in Ranchi jail, said moments after coming to power his government would soon advertise vacancies and fill them within a stipulated time.

Tejashwi said he had made this announcement after due consultation with economic experts. “It is an attainable goal. We will come out with the blueprint shortly,” he announced. According to Tejashwi, there were huge vacancies in health, police, education, road construction, water resources, building construction, electricity board and engineering departments.

“My government’s priority will be not only to fill up the vacancies but also to create jobs,” he announced. He wondered as to how more that 9.47 lakh unemployed youths have registered with his party’s dedicated portal launched for preparing a database of unemployed youths in the state and providing them jobs while more than 13 lakh youths have given missed calls on the party’s toll-free number.

Ex-Bihar police chief Pandey joins JD-U:

Former IPS officer Gupteshwar Pandey, who took voluntary retirement as DG of Bihar five days back, joined chief minister Nitish Kumar’s JD-U. Pandey rushed to the CM’s official residence today where he was given the party membership. This comes barely a day after he had visited the JD-U office to meet the CM but stoutly denied he had any political talks with the latter. He claimed he had gone to thank the chief minister for giving him free hand to run the police administration as DGP of Bihar