The BJD and the BJP on Monday locked horns over the issue of unemployment. While the BJD members on Monday gheraoed the offices of the central public sector unit in southern Odisha, the BJP locked employment exchanges offices across the state.

BJD general secretary and MLA Sanjay Dasburma said: “Our students and youths gheraoed the office in southern Odisha protesting against the Centre’s failure to address the issue of employment. We want the Central PSUs to come out with a list of how many Odias have been employed over the years. The Prime Minister’s assurance to give employment to nearly two crore people turned to be a blatant lie.”

He said: “If we go by the promises of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide employment to two crore people, nearly 36 lakhs youths would have got the employment in Odisha alone. But nothing of that sort has happened.”

He said: “The state is rich in mineral resources and contributes nearly 10 per cent of the national exchequer’s revenue. But the Centre always sidestepped the cause of Odisha. Our members will organise demonstrations in front of central PSUs in western Odisha on Tuesday and protest will be held outside central offices on Wednesday.”

On the other hand, BJP youth members on Monday locked state government-run employment exchanges to protest against Odisha’s failure to provide jobs to the youths.

BJP youth wing president Tankadhar Tripathy said: “State government should take steps to give employment to youths. It should release a white paper on the number of youths employed in various companies that have signed MoUs with the government.”

He accused the Odisha government of betraying the youths of the state by organising employment mela.

“In the name of employment mela, the state government have looted lakhs collected from the youths as registration fees. But none of them have got employment,” he said.