Hyderabad: The Kodad Mega Job Mela has emerged as a major initiative to expand employment opportunities for educated unemployed youth in rural areas, bringing around 350 companies onto a common recruitment platform. 

Held on September 19, the job fair received more than 30,000 registrations, with 5,625 candidates shortlisted for further recruitment. 

The initiative was spearheaded by Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Kodad MLA N Padmavathi Reddy, with a focus on connecting qualified rural youth directly with employers. 

The outreach covered candidates from Suryapet, Nalgonda, Yadadri-Bhongir, Khammam and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts. 

Companies from sectors including information technology, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, healthcare, banking and retail participated in the recruitment drive. Candidates interacted directly with prospective employers, attended interviews and learnt about employment requirements. 

Explaining the rationale behind the initiative, Uttam Kumar Reddy said many rural families make significant sacrifices to educate their children, but graduates often face difficulties in identifying job opportunities, contacting employers and travelling to cities for repeated interviews. 

The job mela sought to address these challenges by bringing recruiters closer to rural communities. He said a candidate's village background or family circumstances should not become a barrier to accessing employment opportunities. The initiative aimed to bridge the gap between companies seeking qualified personnel and educated rural youth looking for employment. 

The Kodad job mela was organised following the experience of the Huzurnagar job mela held last year. Preparatory efforts included engagement with industrialists, educational institutions and district administrations to mobilise candidates across the five districts. The Industries Department and Singareni Collieries Company Limited supported the initiative.

Addressing the youth, Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar described the mela as a significant milestone in rural employment outreach and called for similar drives across Telangana.