President meets protesting graduates, says cabinet approves to recruit 10,000 more

By Lahiru Pothmulla   

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday made a stop to talk to the graduates who were protesting outside the Presidential Secretariat, Colombo and assured that they would be given jobs. The graduates launched a protest urging the government to award them with employment opportunities in the state sector. President Rajapaksa who was leaving the Presidential Secretariat last afternoon told the driver to stop and he spoke to the protesters.   

Some of them said they have not been given employment opportunities during the previous government’s tenure while others said they have been denied jobs because they are aged over 45.   Responding to the graduates, the President said, “The Cabinet today approved to absorb 10,000 more graduates to the government sector. Jobs will be given to all. You should go home without getting exposed to the sun.”   

Meanwhile, Cabinet Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told the Daily Mirror that the Cabinet approved to recruit 10,000 more graduates to the state sector.