Successful candidates storm Jharkhand Secretariat, defy prohibitory order

A tense situation prevailed at the Jharkhand Secretariat on Wednesday after a large number of successful candidates, rendered jobless following the government’s cancellation of recruitment examinations, forcibly entered the campus in defiance of a prohibitory order, an official said.

The candidates are protesting the government’s decision to cancel 22 recruitment examinations and order probes into 23 others conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) and an outsourced agency.

The protesters have been demanding withdrawal of the cancellation orders.

"We have been peacefully protesting outside the state secretariat since Monday, but the government paid no heed to our demands. After the government’s notification cancelling the examinations, we have no other option but to enter the secretariat campus to press for our demands," said Chandan Kumar, who had been appointed as an assistant section officer (ASO) in a government department.

Shyam Sundar Mandal said the protesters would not leave the premises until the government revoked the order cancelling the JSSC-Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination.

"We cleared the examination based on our merit. We have no involvement with any irregularities. The government has no right to punish us," said Mandal, who had also been appointed as an ASO.

Hatia DSP Neeraj Kumar appealed to the protesters to leave the Secretariat campus and identify a place outside the premises for their agitation.

"The protestors will have to understand that the prohibitory order under Section 163 of the BNS is effective in the area and they may have to face legal action for violating the order," Kumar said.

Reacting to the situation, Congress media in-charge Rakesh Sinha said, "The government is serious about the concerns of successful candidates, and it will come out with a solution very soon."

Amid a 26-day students' protest over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment exams, the JMM-led government cancelled 22 tests and ordered a probe into 23 others conducted by the state public service commission and an outsourced agency since 2014.

The government's move triggered panic among candidates who had successfully cleared these examinations and joined various government departments.

Among the cancelled exams is the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission - Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) test, prompting successful candidates to hit the streets.

The decision, announced after a cabinet meeting on Monday and followed by eight notifications issued late Tuesday night, covers recruitment examinations for several key administrative, technical and judicial posts.