JKNPP protests seeking quashing of selection lists of Fire Services

Alleging massive irregularities and bias in selections of Drivers and Firemen in Fire & Emergency Services Deptt, a strong contingent of Panther activists led by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP and Mr. Yash Paul Kundal State President Young Panthers staged a thunderous protest demonstration in Jammu today. Alleging unprecedented and unabated discrimination against Jammu region in employment post Art 370 abrogation, the infuriated protesters torched the effigy of BJP government and raised slogans of “Jammu Virodhi Bhajpa Hai Hai”, “Jammu Ke Jaichand Hai Hai”, “Fire Services Deptt Ki Select list Quash Karo, Quash Karo”,etc.

Addressing the media persons, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh lambasted the BJP for undergoing hibernation in the face of discriminatory treatment doled out to the youth of Jammu region even after the Re- organization of State and its conversion into Union Territory. “This is the first set of select lists of 696 candidates for the posts of 98 Drivers and 598 Firemen issued by the govt after Art 370 abrogation where in barely 10% share has been given to the youth of Jammu region and 90% share to Kashmir. Moreover, the highly qualified graduate and post graduate candidates have been ignored and middle pass are selected indicating the deep rooted culture of institutionalized discrimination and patronized corruption ruling the roost in our corroded system”, regretted Mr. Singh. He said that there was no respite for the Jammu youth despite tall Saffron promises of employment assured to them. All ‘Rozgar’ related slogans have proved ‘Jumlas’ and exploded the myth of BJP’s bravado, he asserted.

Highlighting statistical analysis of various Districts in the said selections, Mr. Singh pointed out that the Reasi District was completely washed out with not a single candidate having been selected as Fireman in the open merit category out of 338 candidates. Similarly out of 84 candidates selected in open merit as Drivers, the share of Reasi District was again zero. Likewise, Kathua District and Kishtwar District got barely one candidate each under open merit category and Udhampur and Samba getting two candidates each. In Samba District also the two selected candidates under open merit belong to ST category and not a single candidate from General category in District Samba has been selected. District Budgam gets the highest share with 78 candidates appearing in selection list followed by Baramulla getting 72 and Pulwama getting 51 candidates. Similar is the case with the select list of Drivers, wherein also the major chunk has been served to Kashmir, with mere a trickle having fallen in the kitty of Jammu region, Harsh elucidated.

Mr. Yash Paul Kundal while expressing anguish over the large scale allegations of subversion of merit and reports of corrupt practices in finalizing select lists, said that all such selections at class-III and class-IV used to be held on District level prior to enactment of new rules post re-organization of state, it was strange to note that the process of selections which was initiated in 2013 was held on State/UT level basis. “Quash the select lists, hold judicial probe into the obnoxiously biased selections and notify the advertisement a fresh”, roared Harsh.

Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Rajesh Padgotra, Gagan Partap, Parshotam Parihar, Surinder Chouhan, Mohinder Singh, Yash Paul Sharma, Rajesh Gondhi, Shankaar Singh Sanju, Kulbir Singh Kala, Rakesh Gupta, Sarpanch Major Singh, Sarpanch Krishan Chand, Ex-Sarpanch Rajneet Singh, Gurdeep Singh Raju, Rashpaul Singh, Naresh Sharma, Shoba Singh, Gurjeet Singh, Subash Sharma, Lehar Singh besides others.