Latur: Alleging large-scale discrimination in recruitment at the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in Latur, local youths have accused senior officials of deliberately denying jobs to locals despite government assurances. The issue has triggered anger among unemployed youths across the district, who plan to send over 10,000 letters to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding fair employment opportunities, NCP (SP) youth wing city district president Pravin Salunkhe told reporters.
Locals claim that although the government had allotted 350 acres of land for the project, the promise of jobs for local youths remains largely unfulfilled. Of the nearly 150 workers currently employed at the factory, only six are from Latur, while most recruits reportedly hail from Gujarat and other states. The NCP (SP) has submitted a memorandum to the District Collector, warning of strong agitation if the matter is ignored.
Salunkhe criticised Fadnavis for allegedly misleading the public during his Aug 11 announcement in Latur, where he claimed that 1,000 local youths had been given jobs at the factory. “The Chief Minister misled the people. In reality, only about 150 people work there, and the factory’s operations have been handed over to the Russian company Kinet Railway Solutions Limited, effectively privatising it,” he alleged.
He added that the Nationalist Youth Congress would soon send 10,000 letters to the Chief Minister demanding employment for locals, with around 100 letters already written by unemployed youths.
Some youths raised their concerns directly with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray during his recent Marathwada tour in Dharashiv district. They alleged that officials from other states were recruiting their own people while overlooking locals. MP Omraje Nimbalkar, present during the interaction, assured them he would look into the matter personally.
Adding to the controversy, the company reportedly conducted large-scale recruitment drives in Gujarat, while the one held in Latur was merely symbolic. Applicants said interviews were held without transparency, and results were not declared.
Nagnath Shinde, a youth from Shivankhed village who completed an ITI welding course, said, “I’ve been going to the factory gate for two years. In the recent interview, they didn’t even take a practical test. They just said, ‘You’re not selected,’ and sent us away.”
Activist Sudhir Salunkhe alleged that local entrepreneurs were excluded even from business opportunities. “In June, a vendor meet was held at Carnival Resort in Latur for suppliers of railway components. Over 100 suppliers from across India and abroad were invited, but not a single entrepreneur from Latur MIDC was called. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should order an immediate probe and release a report on the recruitment process. The company’s management has no real intention of providing jobs or business to locals,” he said.
Earlier this month, local groups demanding jobs for the locals at the factory had submitted a memorandum to the District Collector demanding that 80% of the jobs at the factory be reserved for youths from Latur district.
