BHUBANESWAR : Aspirants of RI, amin, forester and forest guard posts who appeared the examinations last year have submitted a representation to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi seeking a CBI or sitting judge-level probe into the frequent irregularities in the recruitment process.
The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC) and Odisha Sub-ordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC), which conduct these examinations, have been under scanner over allegations of large-scale corruption in the recruitment process.
Despite Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi admitting to such irregularities during the examinations last year, the government is yet to conduct a high-level probe into the matter.
While presenting the Odisha Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill 2024 in the Assembly last year, Majhi had admitted to the government jobs being ‘sold’ in the state.
Around 2.5 lakh candidates had taken the forester, forest guard and livestock inspector tests last year. However, when OSSSC released the results in the form of percentiles of candidates, there were allegations that names of many undeserving candidates figured in the merit list. Following such claims, names of over 300 candidates were struck off the merit list, said a candidate Sangram Swain.
Similar allegations were made for RI, amin exams too. The candidates, under the aegis of Students Against Corruption, alleged that in March 2022, OPSC had conducted assistant soil conservation officer examination when centres of 10 candidates were changed on the day of examination. They were also selected for final interview. However on realising the irregularity, the government had cancelled the entire examination. Three years later, the exam was again held by OPSC in February this year but out of 200 questions, 25 were wrong.
On the other hand, owing to lack of coordination among agencies, four examinations are scheduled on March 8 and 9, leaving thousands of job-seekers worried. While the SBI will conduct the PO prelims examination on March 8, the Odisha Police Recruitment Board will conduct the test for 933 sub-inspector (SI) posts on the same day and other positions on March 9. Likewise, OPSC will hold the AAO examination in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar on March 9 and the Railway Recruitment Board’s RPF recruitment examination is also scheduled on the day.
“There are many candidates who have been preparing to appear for these examinations but now, due to the lack of coordination among agencies, they can appear only one exam at a time, be it the SBO PO exam or SI test on March 8. There is very little time to even think of appearing for the tests scheduled the next day,” said Dheeraj Patnaik, an aspirant.