A 25-year-old woman who possesses an MCom degree and a 29-year-old man with an MBA were among the many individuals queuing at Yuva Sathi camps in the city on Monday.

Both voiced frustration that jobs were scarce in Calcutta.

Puja Mondol, who earned her postgraduate degree in commerce from Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration last year, said it would have been better if the state created more job opportunities.

“We need more jobs. People should get jobs on merit, but the money given under Yuva Sathi will help me meet expenses while going for job interviews,” said Mondol, who came to the camp at Subodh Mullick Square with her mother.

“Despite having a postgraduate degree, I am still hunting for jobs. It has been several months since I got my degree,” she said.

Vishal Kumar Gupta, 29, a resident of Bhowanipore, echoed Mondol. “If there were more jobs in Bengal, I would not have had to go to another state to work,” said the
hotel manager who works in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. Gupta’s MBA is from Indira Gandhi National Open University.

“I have been living in Ujjain for two years now. I have rented an apartment. If I had a job in Calcutta, I would have saved more money. I am applying for this scheme as it will help me bear a part of my expenses of living away from home,” he said.

“I will be able to send more money to my parents,” he added.

Thousands queued up from early morning outside the 35 camps set up across Calcutta to collect the forms.

Calcutta has 11 Assembly seats and 35 Yuva Sathi camps.

The online application window for the scheme was launched on Monday.

“Some of the camps do not have enough space to accommodate too many people. We decided to have more camps so that applicants were not inconvenienced or had to wait in long queues,” said a KMC official.

About 22,000 forms were distributed from the 35 camps on Monday. Officials
of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) said 14,900 forms were distributed on Sunday, the first day of the camps.

“In the first two days, we have distributed nearly 37,000 forms,” said a KMC official.

State government sources said nearly 6.55 lakh forms were distributed across Bengal in the first two days. The camps will continue till February 26.

Applicants must submit a copy of their Aadhaar card, voter card, Madhyamik pass certificate, Madhyamik admit card and a bank document with the account number where the money will be credited, along with the filled-out forms.

Yuva Sathi — a scheme to assist unemployed youths in poll-bound Bengal — will commence on April 1.

The scheme website states that unemployed residents of Bengal between 21 and 40 who have passed Madhyamik and have a bank account linked with an Aadhaar card will be eligible for the grant. They will receive a monthly assistance of ₹1,500 for five years or until they secure a job.

The form, of which Metro has a copy, includes a section requiring applicants to provide a self-declaration. One of the statements indicates that the applicants affirm they are unemployed “to date”.

It adds: “I am not receiving any assistance under any social security scheme or any allowances of the Govt. of West Bengal except for any State-provided financial assistance for educational benefit or scholarship.”

“If I get any employment within this period, I will forthwith inform the authority.”

The state government had earlier announced in this year’s vote-on-account that the scheme would be rolled out from August 15. Mamata said last week that the scheme would be implemented from April 1.