Successful candidates from recruitment examinations cancelled by the Jharkhand government staged a demonstration outside the state secretariat on Friday, demanding justice and the withdrawal of the cancellation orders.
Carrying portraits of tribal icon Birsa Munda and JMM founder Shibu Soren, as well as placards, the protesters, including candidates selected through the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination, raised slogans such as “Nyay do ya faansi do” (Give us justice or hang us) and “Sharm karo, sharm karo” (Have shame).
Ramesh Mandal, a resident of Deoghar who was selected as a welfare officer, said he had been protesting since 19 August and would continue the agitation until justice was delivered.
“I appeal to the government to withdraw its decision to cancel the JSSC-CGL examination, as it did so without assigning any reason,” said another candidate, Chanda Kumari.
The protesters said they had full faith in the judiciary and expressed confidence that the court would stay the government’s decision to cancel the examinations.
On Wednesday, the Jharkhand High Court stayed notifications cancelling appointments made through the 11th and 13th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examinations and those of Food Safety Officers. The interim order, however, does not cover all 22 examinations cancelled by the state government.
On 18 August, the government cancelled 22 recruitment examinations and ordered probes into 23 others conducted since 2014 by the JPSC, JSSC and outsourced agency TDPL, amid a prolonged agitation over alleged irregularities.
Around 2,700 successful candidates, including those selected through the JSSC CGL examination, have been protesting against the cancellations. They argue that candidates selected on merit should not lose their jobs because of alleged irregularities in the recruitment process.
Meanwhile, the CID’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has interrogated 37 suspects in connection with alleged irregularities in the JSSC Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examination 2023.
BJP leader Champai Soren blamed the state government for the situation.
“If there had been even a shred of seriousness in the government regarding this matter, it would have ordered a CBI probe,” he said. “Jharkhand has been a state for 26 years now, and this so-called ‘abua (own)’ government has been in power for seven years, but, alas, even today, a transparent recruitment process has not been established here.”
Meanwhile, the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch questioned the state government’s intent, alleging that neither the Advocate General nor any senior advocate was present in the High Court to contest the stay order.
(With inputs from PTI)