Bhubaneswar, Sept. 7: The technical education department is holding a four-day mega recruitment drive from September 17 for BTech, BPharma, MBA and MCA pass outs from various universities and technical institutes of the state. About 20,000 students have already registered for the event.

The department has also been holding recruitment drives for diploma institutes, but promoters of private engineering institutes are unhappy since they claim that their students have been sidelined.

Although the central placement cell set up by the technical department has, in the past, organised recruitment drives by reputed industrial houses like Tata Steel and Essar Steel, it has only allowed students from government engineering schools and state-run polytechnics.

“This is unfair as many eligible and talented students from private institutions have been deprived of employment. The students in private colleges are keen to take part of the in the job drives,” said Ashok Jena, owner of a private engineering school.

“The step-motherly attitude of the government is worrying specially as all aspirants have taken the same entrance tests (DET) to get admissions into private engineering schools and go through the e –counselling conducted by the department. So why should there be any discrimination? ” asked Jena.

“These days the admissions are no more on the basis of “government or private' institute. Many of us choose institutions based on their infrastructure and location. Why should there be different rules? The state government must rethink its decision,” said Pallav Mishra, a student.

Odisha Private Engineering Schools’ Association secretary Saroj said despite discussion with various authorities, no action had been taken. Sahoo said efforts were on to take up the issue with technical education minister Sanjay Kumar Das Burma.