Srinagar, Dec 18: Days after the Jammu and Kashmir government terminated the services of 103 firemen appointed in the Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) Department, a group of aspirants who had raised objections to the 2020 recruitment process welcomed the decision here on Thursday.
The government action followed the findings of a probe committee which concluded that the recruitment process carried out in 2020 involved serious irregularities, including alleged question paper leakage.
Addressing reporters in Srinagar, the aspirants said the termination order fulfilled assurances given to them earlier by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha during a meeting at Lok Bhavan.
They said they had submitted material and representations over the years pointing to flaws in the selection process.
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The aspirants said the probe committee had recorded that paper leakage was a major issue in the recruitment process.
They added that although all evidence had not yet been made public, the government decision reflected acceptance of the findings of the inquiry.
They credited advocate Abhinav Sharma for pursuing the matter and bringing the issue into the public domain.
They also acknowledged the role of BJP leader Ravinder Raina, saying he had spoken in support of action and called for justice for the candidates.
The aspirants said they had been raising the issue since 2020, when the selection list was made public, and had staged protests in Srinagar and Jammu over the past several years.
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They claimed they were meritorious candidates who had qualified physical tests more than once and that their records were available with the department.
They alleged that their objections were ignored at the time the recruitment was completed and said timely action could have prevented the situation.
According to them, a total of 692 aspirants were affected by the alleged irregularities.
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The group said they had faith in the Lieutenant Governor and expressed hope that further steps would be taken to ensure justice and employment opportunities for eligible candidates.
They also thanked the media for coverage of the issue and acknowledged the cooperation extended by Kothibagh Police during their protests.
The aspirants appealed to political leaders to support their demand for fair recruitment and said their objective was limited to securing employment through a transparent process.(KNS).
