Shimla, Sep 12 (UNI) Continuing with its opposition to the appointment of teachers by the Parent Teachers Association (PTA), the Himachal Pradesh unit of the BJP today demanded batchwise recruitment of teachers under the scheme, which was otherwise providing jobs to the 'favourites only'.

''Teachers are being appointed on recommendations of the MLAs, ministers and high ups under the scheme, ignoring the claim of the meritorious people,'' party's spokesman Rajiv Bindal said in a release here.

He said the PTA could also appoint any person fulfilling the academic eligibility conditions, which was against the interests of the educated youth, whose number had swelled to 10 lakh in the state.

Unless the state government resorted to batchwise recruitment of teachers, the BJP's opposition to the scheme would continue, he said.

Accusing the Virbhadra Singh Government of failing to protect the interests of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes's Mr Bindal said the scheme does not provide for reservation in jobs to economically and socially backward sections of society.

Besides, the state government has failed in fulfilling its promise of providing job to one member of every family, he said, adding only the family members of MLAs and ministers have been provided jobs during the government's three and a half year tenure.

The BJP leader said the state government was devising new methods to provide employment to people who were close to the power instead of coming out with a programme to generate more employment avenues for the educated youth of the state.

UNI AS JN AK VV1656