Don't chase government jobs, set up paan shop: Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb

Biplab Kumar Deb, the chief minister of Tripura, has made quite a few headlines in the recent weeks with his controversial statements. The Tripura CM has now advised youngsters that instead of seeking government jobs, they should rather set up a paan shop.

Deb claimed that the youth should be self-sufficient and not run behind politicians for government jobs. At an event held in Agartala on the eve of World Veterinary Day, Deb was quoted as saying by ANI: "The youth here runs after political parties for several years to get a govt job and wastes the vital time of their life, had the same youth instead of running after parties set up a paan shop he would have by now had a bank balance of Rs 5 lakhs."

At the seminar organized by the Tripura Veterinary Council, the 47-year-old politician also added that "milking cows" is another option for self-employment, NDTV reported.

Deb lauded the Narendra Modi government and said that the educated youth in his state need to become self-employed and involve themselves in startup projects with bank loans that are provided under the Prime Minister's Mudra scheme.

He further encouraged youth by saying that by borrowing Rs 75,000 from the bank under the Mudra scheme, one can earn at least Rs 25,000 per month with a bit of hard work. Deb added that the reason for unemployment in his state was because of narrow-minded concepts like "a graduate cannot opt for farming, start poultry, or piggery because if he does so, his class will go down."

Among many other controversial remarks that he had made in the past, Deb said in an event Friday, April 27, that "those who are from a mechanical engineering background should not opt for civil services. Society has to be built up. Civil engineers have this knowledge. Because those in the administration have to build the society," the news agency reported.

Deb had also faced flak for saying that Diana Hayden did not deserve to be the Miss World as she does not represent the image of a "true Indian beauty." He further added that only Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai had the looks of an Indian beauty. Before this, he also faced huge criticism for saying that the internet existed in the 'Mahabharata' period.