Protesting job aspirants gherao BJP president over APTECH issue in Jammu

Jammu: Despite an assurance by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha about transparent and merit-based selection in the recruitment process, dozens of job aspirants on Tuesday gheraoed J-K BJP president Ravinder Raina here over the issue of engaging a previously blacklisted company for conduct of computer-based written tests.
Raina was encircled by the protesters at the office of the power development department in Gandhi Nagar where he had gone to deposit electricity charges after supply line to his residential quarter was snapped over non-payment of the bills.
“I am already aware of your apprehensions because some of my own cousins are also part of the protests. The Lt Governor has made it clear that if you have evidence, he is ready to take appropriate action,” Raina told the protestors who submitted a file of papers as proof against the APTECH limited, which was hired by the J-K Services Selection Board (JKSSB) to conduct the examination to fill up vacancies in various government departments.
The BJP leader heard the protesters patiently and assured them that he is ready to accompany them with these papers to the Lt Governor or the chairman of the JKSSB, saying that he had tried to contact both of them but they were not available.
The protesters demanded immediate cancellation of the contract with the agency having a tainted track-record.
They also questioned the statement of the Lt Governor of providing employment to 30,000 youths over the past three years.
Addressing a function in Jammu on Monday, the Lt Governor said deliberate attempts are being made to stop the recruitment process by misleading the job aspirants.
“We have provided government jobs to 30,000 youth in three years. Our effort is to provide another 12,000 jobs this year,” Sinha had said, assuring the job seekers that there will be complete transparency and jobs will be provided to meritorious students only.
“We came across complaints in the past and cancelled the examinations. The cases were handed over to the CBI which has arrested many people. I assure you that nobody will be spared even if he or she is an influential person,” Sinha said, asserting that his administration has zero tolerance for corruption.