Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today gave away appointment letters to as many as 3,548 unemployed youths of the State against technical and non-technical posts under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) at a "job fair' at Judges' Field in Guwahati today. Of the 3,548 appointment letters given away today, 1,053 are for GNM nurses, 1,385 for ANM nurses, 149 for pharmacists, 500 for accountants and 461 for laboratory technicians. This is the largest-ever issuance of appointment letters on a single date, that too, in a single department in independent India. Handing over the appointment letters to the candidates, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that generation of jobs was a promise made in the Congress' Assembly poll manifesto, and today's handing over of appointment letters to as many as 3,548 unemployed youths at one go was a successful translation of the promise. He said the Centre accorded priority on quality health services, supply of potable water and proper sanitation facilities in rural Asom, and the State Government has extended Rs 100 crore for successful implementation of the NRHM. Gogoi claimed that due to successful implementation of the NRHM, the number of women giving birth to babies in Government hospitals has risen from 60,000 to three lakh, and the immunization has risen from 19 per cent to 62 per cent in the State. State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: "The NRHM was started in 2006 with only six persons, but now it has a staff strength of 9,150. The appointments have been strictly based on merit, and there is no favouritism of any sort.' He added that another 1,200 youths would be given appointments in April. According to him, besides Rs 100 crore extended for the NRHM by the State Government, Rs 130 crore has been allocated under the Plan Budget this year. The newly-appointed employees took oath together at Judges' Field. It may be mentioned here that some of the appointments issued today are for permanent posts and the rest are for a period of five years.