Srinagar:Scores of aspirants who had applied for jobs in the Fire and Emergency Services Department staged a protest in Srinagar on Friday, demanding justice and accountability in what they described as a long-pending recruitment fraud. The protesters alleged that despite repeated assurances from authorities, including a promise by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, no substantial action has been taken for more than a decade.
The candidates raised slogans against what they termed as systemic negligence in addressing the scam that deprived meritorious youth of government jobs. They carried placards demanding an impartial investigation and strict punishment for those responsible for tampering with the recruitment lists.
“We have been on the streets again and again, yet nothing concrete has been done. For the last 12 years, we have been waiting for justice. Many of us have crossed the upper age limit and lost hope for any government employment. This is not only fraud but also a grave injustice,” one of the protesting aspirants told the news agency Kashmir News Trust.
The candidates recalled that when they had raised the issue earlier, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had assured them that justice would be delivered. “LG sahib had himself promised us that action would follow and the guilty would be punished. But months and years have passed, and we are still waiting for that promise to be fulfilled,” another aspirant said.
According to the protesters, the recruitment process in the Fire and Emergency Services Department has remained mired in allegations of manipulation and irregularities for over a decade. They alleged that undeserving candidates were accommodated through fraudulent means while genuine aspirants were sidelined.
“What pains us the most is that this case is not new. It has been under public discussion for more than twelve years. Successive governments ignored it, and now even under the present administration, nothing has been done despite repeated commitments,” one of the aggrieved job seekers said.
The candidates urged the government to take immediate steps by constituting an independent inquiry committee or handing the case over to an anti-corruption agency for thorough investigation. They said unless the guilty are punished, public faith in the recruitment system will remain shattered. [KNT]
