‘Tell us our crime’: 2,000 Jharkhand govt employees fear job loss after JSSC-CGL cancellation

"Tell us our crime. Don't throw us out." The plea of successful candidates outside the Jharkhand Secretariat on Tuesday captured the anguish of around 2,000 people who fear the state government's decision to cancel the JSSC-CGL exam would cost them their jobs.

In the face of sustained protests by job aspirants over alleged irregularities in exams, the Jharkhand government on Monday night announced cancelling the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) exam and all recruitment tests conducted by outsourced agency TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL) since 2014.

While the decision, which was among the major demands of the exam protesters, was likely to quell the agitation, the government was now faced with a fresh concern as around 2,000 candidates who cleared the JSSC-CGL exam fear losing their jobs.

These candidates, who are now government employees, say they are not opposed to an investigation into the alleged irregularities but demand a fair opportunity to defend themselves. Both the protesting aspirants and successful candidates of JSSC-CGL exam now demand a CBI probe.

Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said the successful candidates could seek legal recourse, and JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey acknowledged their anguish, saying the party was sympathetic to them.

However, the assurance that fresh vacancies would provide opportunities to deserving candidates did little to ease their uncertainty, many of whom have crossed the age limit.

Some threatened a hunger strike and further legal action.

Kaushal Kumar, an assistant section officer in the Jharkhand government, said, "Tell us our crime. Don't throw us out. We were appointed after a court order."

In a desperate appeal outside the Jharkhand Secretariat, he said, "We have come with all documents. Don't cancel it (exams). Probe it. Do a CBI probe or whatever investigation you deem fit, but please don't do injustice to us."

On Monday night, these successful candidates made failed attempts to meet Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren as he chaired a marathon meeting with his cabinet colleagues and decided to agree to the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch's demand of cancelling the recruitment exams over alleged irregularities. 

The Manch has been spearheading the over two-week protest against alleged corruption in job exams.

Another appointee, Chanda Kumari, questioned whether candidates had been given a fair opportunity to defend themselves.

"Democracy means that 100 guilty may be spared, but no innocent should be punished," she said, alleging that successful candidates were not given sufficient time to present their side before the decision was made.

Kumari said she belonged to a poor background and had qualified the 14th JPSC examination and the forest range officer mains examination through hard work. She rejected allegations that all those who secured appointments had collectively benefited from the alleged malpractice.

"We could not have bought all these jobs," she said.

Kumari alleged that they were being punished even before any wrongdoing had been established against them.

The candidates point to previous judicial proceedings to reinforce their claim that their appointments were not arbitrary.

They say the recruitment process had been subjected to probe and court scrutiny, and the High Court in its December judgment had rejected a demand for a CBI probe, holding the existing SIT investigation was adequate.

They now want the government to make a clear distinction between those accused of wrongdoing and candidates who got jobs fair and square.

Another protester, S K Singh, said the central allegation had still not been established against the successful candidates. Many candidates had already joined their posts following legal proceedings, and after waiting for years, he said.

"You cannot throw us out without any rhyme or reason," he said.

Kumar claimed more than 500 successful candidates had left Central government jobs after securing the appointments in the state.

"One resigned from a Level-6 central position, a job in the India Meteorological Department, to join a job here. Where would we go?" he posed.

The government has defended its decision to cancel the exams as a measure aimed at restoring confidence in the recruitment system.

Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said these successful candidates could seek legal recourse.

JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey said the party was not running a "dictatorial government" and acknowledged that the successful candidates were rightfully anguished.

"We are sympathetic to them," Pandey said, adding that fresh vacancies would provide opportunities to deserving candidates. He also referred to a judicial inquiry headed by a retired judge.

Announcing the cancellation of the exams late on Monday night, Chief Minister Soren said an exam reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal would recommend measures to strengthen the process of recruitment tests.

The government has asserted that it was prepared to overhaul the examination system through the new reforms committee and stricter enforcement of the law against adopting unfair means in exams.