Constable recruitment controversy rocks Assam

Controversy over appointment of police constables in Assam has led to protests gathering momentum across the State amid allegations of using religion as a parameter in the recruitment thus depriving deserving candidates of a chance. With the opposition political parties turning the issue into an emotive one, the Congress government in Assam is face to face with an issue that involves nearly one million people directly. 

Out of these many number of applications received for the posts of constables 5000 were selected. The general allegation was that all the posts were filled up in a controversial manner and merit was never the criteria, which Assam government spokesman Ripun Bora has denied vehemently. The agitating youths have criticised the State Government for allegedly playing ''vote-bank'' politics by using religion as a parameter in the recruitment drive and depriving genuine candidates of a chance. They also demonstrated in front of the district police headquarters. The BJP has further alleged that the ISI had successfully managed to infiltrate the Assam police as Bangladeshis were given jobs because of vote bank politics. Countering the allegations of anomalies in the appointment, the State Government accused the opposition political parties of politicising the matter for their own benefit. Mr. Bora asserted that there was no anomaly. Some discontent was bound to happen because only 5000 were selected out of the one million applications.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who had rushed to Delhi to brief the Congress high command about the situation and indicated a halt to all future appointments. ''We sought to appoint 34,000 people but that is not going to happen now as it seems,'' he said.

Mr. Bora claimed there was complete transparency and all sections were given representation and merit was the only criteria. But the BJP and AGP did not buy the government point of view and have intensified the campaign. The Assam Government is now in a fix because its own MLAs and ministers have also complained about the exercise saying that 'two junior ministers have hijacked the entire list.' The Left parties, both CPI and CPI (M), have demanded a CBI inquiry while more than 1000 faxes have been sent from Guwahati alone to the Congress High Command by the rejected candidates. CPI (M) Central Committee member Hemen Das said his party demanded a CBI probe into the alleged anomalies in the recruitment to find out whether any vested interest was at work. HC stays constable appointment Guwahati High Court suspended the controversial appointment process of constables in Assam police. A single bench consists of Mr. Justice I A Ansari issued the order following a petition filed by Debjit Bhattacharrya and ten others in the court seeking intervention of the court and cancellation of the whole process. The petitioners are deprived candidates of the selection process which has already evoked widespread criticism all over the state. The court disposing of the matter said unless proper formalities of publishing the list of candidates were followed through local newspaper all the appointment process including the issuance of the appointment letter should be suspended forthwith.

Gogoi challenges BJP

Challenging the BJP to prove recruitment of 'foreigners' in Government jobs, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi alleged that ''BJP does not want the unemployment problem to be solved. I challenge it to prove in one month that 'foreigners' have been recruited in jobs. Recruiting officers, if found guilty, will be suspended,'' he said. Coming down heavily on the BJP and the previous Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) Government for signing a Memorandum of Understanding in 1998 to put a freeze on recruitment in the state, Mr. Gogoi said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh relaxed the restriction on education and health departments. ''I am persuading him to remove restrictions from other departments also so that we can go for recruitment of unemployed youth,'' he said. While admitting that only Government jobs would not be able to meet the huge demand for employment in the State, Mr. Gogoi said he had set a target of generating self-employment to 300,000 people and providing Government jobs to 30,000 others this year.

Assam bandh evokes good response

12-hour Assam bandh in protest against the alleged anomalies in the recent recruitment of constables for Assam Police was near total across the state. No public buses plied on the road since morning and shops and establishments in busy areas like Fancy bazar, Paltan bazar, Uzanbazar, Ulubari, Ganeshguri and Maligan remained closed. Reports from Upper Assam also said that the impact of the bandh was total and there were no vehicular traffic on the road.

The bandh call was given by the BJP in protest against the alleged anomalies in the recent recruitment of over 5,600 constables in the Assam police by the ruling Congress Government. BJP North-East zonal secretary V Satish demanded a CBI inquiry into the entire appointment episode.  He also sought Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's resignation for his 'failure in all fronts', from solving the infiltration problem across Bangladesh border to checking ISI activities and from unemployment to deteriorating law and order situation. Party President and MP Indramoni Bora charged Minister of State for Home Reikybul Hossain for using religion as a parameter to favour a minority community for recruitment.

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