Fire and Emergency Service Aspirants Hold Protest Against Recruitment "Scam"

Srinagar: Dozens of Fire and Emergency Service aspirants protested at Srinagar’s Press Enclave, alleging official apathy despite continued demonstrations against alleged irregularities in the recruitment process. 

Wearing shrouds, the protesters raised slogans demanding justice in favour of the aspirants however, the police authorities thwarted their march toward the Raj Bhawan. Many of them were bundled in police vehicles following the incident.

One of the protesters Sameer Ahmad from Ganderbal district, said that he has been demonstrating for the last three years in both the capitals of Jammu and Srinagar but to no avail. 

“We are not wearing this shroud on our own today, but the administration has forced it on us.  We will march to the Raj Bhawan to make our voice heard,” Ahmad said. 

Thousands of youth had applied for various posts in the Jammu and Kashmir Fire and Emergency Services, and about 7,000 of them had appeared for a written test in 2013 after the initial shortlist. The interviews could not be held after the region was swept by massive floods in 2014, and the recruitment process was cancelled in 2017. Another test was held in 2018 but was again cancelled amidst allegations of irregularities.

Another test was conducted on September 20, 2020, and the selection list was issued despite fresh claims of irregularities in the selection process. Regional political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have demanded action against the alleged irregularities. Many political leaders have also condemned the action against the aspirants, arguing that the committee formed last December to probe the alleged irregularities in the recruitment procedures should make the report public.

Another protester Imtiyaz Ali said that the administration has not been paying any heed to the aspirant even as their demands are “genuine”.  

“I do not understand how Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Secretary AK Mehta claim to have provided thousands of jobs when most of them seem to be marred by corruption and scam,” Ali alleged.  

The protesting youth said they will continue to protest until their demands are met. “One of the candidates who, despite getting good numbers in the Fire and Services test, could not make it to the list but later cracked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams. We have taken exams in 2013, 2018 and 2020, but we were scammed every time,” he added.