Jajpur, Dec. 19: Violence broke out at the Nijukti Mela (job fair) here today as unemployed youths, who were barred from appearing at an interview, went on the rampage.

About 50 freshers, who were called for the interview at the fair organised by the district administration, ransacked three stalls set up at the venue. The fair was put on hold for an hour following stiff opposition from the protestors. The vandalism took place in the presence of district collector Anil Kumar Samal.

The protesters fled after policemen chased them with lathis. “They had called us for interview at the job fair today as we are had qualification as per the advertisement. The fair was solely for unemployed people like us. But on reaching the venue we found that they were calling only those candidates who had experience. It was quite unjust and unfair. So we protested and demanded everyone should be given an opportunity,” said Manas Ranjan Behera, a protester.

“When we demanded justice, the police used force and drove us away,” he said. The fair was organised by the district employment exchange at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Vyas Nagar of the district.

Over 4,600 unemployed youths had been invited to attend the fair. Today, as many as 4,528 applicants had registered for the fair, where 32 private companies had been invited. When the recruiters barred the freshers from attend the interview, the latter protested.

“I was at the venue. When I came to know that discrimination was meted out by the recruiting companies, I assured the protesters that I will take up the matter with them so that everyone got an opportunity. But, they did not listen to me and created ruckus. Finally, we had to call the police to maintain law and order at the fair,” Samal said.

“We have followed guidelines of the government which stipulates that 90 per cent unskilled jobs should go to local residents,” he said.

Samal added that the district administration had invited the applications from the job seekers on the basis of the set guidelines.