HYDERABAD: Even as the Telangana state forest department mulls holding staff recruitment examinations, fate of over one lakh candidates who had appeared for the previous recruitment examination in 2013 hangs in the balance.
The forest department of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh had issued job notification in 2012 for posts of forest section officer (FSO), forest beat officer(FBO), assistant beat officer (ABO) and technical officers. The examination was held early next year and over one lakh candidates appeared for the exam.
With severe staff crunch, the department has requested the state government to let it conduct recruitment exam on its own or at least start the process of recruitment.
When contacted, PK Sharma, principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), admitted that the staff crunch as well as the results of over one lakh candidates who had appeared for the recruitment tests in 2013 were withheld. “There is certainly a need for complete restructuring. We have appraised the government of the situation and are hopeful for issuance of a notification anytime. However, no decision on recruitment has been taken so far,” he said.
Further, he said that even if the notification for recruitment tests are issued today, many of those who had appeared in 2013 could not be considered for the posts as a good per cent of them would have crossed the upper age limit.
“Along with request for fresh notification, we have also requested the government to provide a one-time relaxation in terms of age to fairly accommodate the eligible candidates who appeared for the test in 2013,” Sharma added.
Meanwhile, a bigger hassle in the way of recruitment remains in the form of requirement for amendment of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh Forest Service Rules. “Local and non-local quota category has to be re-defined, for which the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh Forest Service Rules have to be amended by the state government. Both TS and AP have to take similar decisions,” he said.