Fulfilling yet another promise in the party’s manifesto, the BJP Government in the State has decided to provide concession to the applicants of all categories (ST/SC/OBC/ General) in the examination fee of all the competitive exams (both entrance and recruitment exams) conducted by the Chhattisgarh Professional Examination Board (CGPEB).
Chief Minister Raman Singh said on Saturday in a Press release that it was promised in the manifesto of the Assembly elections 2013 that in the competitive examinations held by CGPEB, the applicants belonging to other backward classes would be given exam fee exemption at par with the applicants of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories.He said that not only the Government kept its promise, but has also decided to reduce the examination fee for the applicants of all the categories.
In the upcoming year 2014-15, the applicants would be provided concession of 33 to 56 per cent in the examination fee of entrance exams held by CGPEB, and likewise, concession of 31 to 54 per cent would be provided in the examination fee of the recruitment exams held by CGPEB, the Chief Minister stated.Singh said that as a result of this decision, youth of the State would get better employment opportunities in civil services as per their qualification.
With increased participation of applicants in these exams, the State Government would also get better employees for its various departments.The Chief Minister said that presently (in year 2013-14), examination fee for the competitive exams conducted by CGPEB were Rs 450 for the applicants of general category, Rs 450 for the applicants of OBC category, and for those of ST/SC category the examination fee was Rs 300.
From the upcoming year (2014-15), the examination fee for CGPEB exams would be reduced to Rs 300 for the applicants of general category, Rs 250 for the applicants of the OBC category and Rs 200 for SC/ST category, he said.For the recruitment exams conducted by CGPEB, the present examination fee was Rs 650 for the applicants of general and OBC category and Rs 450 for SC/ST category. This would be decreased to Rs 450 for general category, Rs 300 for OBC category and Rs 300 for SC/ST category, Singh added.
This reduction in examination fee of competitive and recruitment examinations was expected to decrease the annual income of CGPEB by a total of Rs 8.65 crores. This includes the earnings of Rs 3.80 crores from the examination fees of the various entrance exams and also the earnings of Rs 4.85 crores from the examination fees of recruitment exams. But despite this, CGPEB would be drawing a net income of 20 per cent, Raman stated.
Presently, CGPEB had an amount of Rs 43 crore available, out of which Rs 8 crores were to be utilised for the new building. After clearance of all the liabilities, CGPEB would have Rs 35 crores in hand, he said.