JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla Wednesday strongly condemned detaining and resorting to lathi-charge on job aspirants Several job aspirants, protesting against hiring of a previously black-listed company by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) for conducting written examinations. Bhalla accompanied by Ajaz Choudhary, National Secretary IYC, Vikas Badhoria NSUI State Vice President,Ajay Lakhotra State Gen Secretary, Bhavanyu Bhagat also visited protesting site to listen to grievances of protesting job aspirants who were raising slogans against the JKSSB for hiring APTECH Limited, the company which had been blacklisted in 2019, for conduct of computer-based tests.
Bhalla said there was no justification for hiring APTECH company which was earlier blacklisted. “When we are selecting a company for conducting a written examination, there should be checks and balances to ensure transparency, accountability and fairness in the selection. There was a need to follow procedure to match the standards of major national level recruitment agencies which was not done in case of hiring APTECH company ,” Bhalla said.
Bhalla seeking justice for job aspirants”, said Congress was concerned about their future as they are crossing the age limit due to the alleged failure of the administration to complete the recruitment process on time.“They are conducting an examination and then cancelling it,how many times they have to appear for the same exam time and again,” Bhalla said.
Bhalla further said that in July last year, the Jammu and Kashmir administration headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha cancelled the selected list of 1,200 police sub-inspectors, 1300 junior engineers and 1,000 finance account assistants (FAA) following allegations of paper leak and malpractices. The administration announced to hold fresh exams but the contract to conduct these exams was given to M/S Aptech Limited, a controversial agency that UP, Rajasthan, and Assam blacklisted.
The CBI s investigating the sub-inspector recruitment scam after registering a case on August 3 and had already filed a chargesheet against 24 persons.“APTECH was blacklisted in the past and there is no guarantee it will not do any wrongdoing in future. What forced the LG administration to engage such a black-listed company?” asked Bhalla. The Board – JKSSB has been in the news for all the wrong reasons as another recruitment scam over the last few years.
Former Minister while condemning the use of force against the job aspirants said that these youngsters were exercising their democratic right to protest against the recent decision to engage a blacklisted firm,” he, said. “The company is blacklisted in so many states and has also been fined by the Supreme Court. What more can be a moment of displeasure for the youth of J and K,” Bhalla said. The recruitment for government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir had been riddled with scams for the last few years and four recruitment lists were scrapped following allegations of corruption and paper leaks.
Bhalla reminded LG Administration that Delhi High Court has even imposed a penalty of ₹ 10 lakh on Aptech for alleged malpractices in recruitment.In December Jammu and Kashmir High Court strongly indicated the administration for allotting a contract to a tainted agency.The court had referred to the involvement M/s Aptech Limited in malpractices in recruitment exams in the power department in Uttar Pradesh; police recruitment in Rajasthan and Irrigation department in Assam.
