Taking the threat of self-immolation by selected clerks seriously, Punjab Subordinate Staff Selection Board has decided to keep appointment on 192 posts of clerks on hold.
Issuing a warning to the State Government, some selected candidates had said if they were not issued appointment letters by Dec 15, they will immolate themselves at the venue of rally to be held by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in Patiala.
Around 192 clerks selected by Punjab SSS Board have been awaiting for their appointment letters since June, 2014, when they were declared successful in the recruitment. The recruitment for 1192 clerks was initiated in 2013, which were to be posted in different departments.
But the board authorities later refused to issue appointment letters to around 192 selected candidates, saying they had passed their graduation from universities based outside the State. The Board had stopped issuing appointment letters on the basis of guidelines issued by University Grants Commission in 2013.
Tired of making repeated rounds to the authorities for getting appointment, the selected candidates had issued warning of self-immolation on the rally venue. In a bid to appease the agitating selected clerks, the SSS Board on Wednesday called an emergent meeting. Having presided over the meeting, SSS Board Chairman Santa Singh said that the selected candidates should not do anything which was not in the interest of
society.
He said that the matter of recognition of their graduation degrees was pending with the High Court and at this juncture of time, State Government cannot take a decision on their appointment. Giving assurance of full cooperation, he said that Board has decided to keep the appointment on 192 posts on hold, and if the court decided in their favor, they would be issued appointment letters.
But on the other hand, refusing to soften their stand in their bid for self-immolation, a representative of the selected clerks, Chetan Bansal said that government was just trying to give lame excuses to delay their appointment. He said that the guidelines were issued by UGC in 2013, while all the selected candidates had cleared their graduation before 2011. Thus, the new guidelines should not be made applicable retrospectively.
He said the future of selected candidates is hanging in the balance, as the undesired delay in appointment after clearing the selection process is not tolerable. “If we are not given appointment, then 15 members will self-immolate themselves on Dec 15 and thereafter 15 will do the same outside the residence of Higher Education Minister Surjeet Singh Rakhra on Dec 31.