Several job aspirants detained in Jammu; JKSSB assures fair selection in recruitment process

Chanting slogans like “APTECH go back” and “we want justice”, the protesters said they are concerned about their future.

Several job aspirants, protesting against hiring of a previously black-listed company by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) for conducting written examinations, were detained by police here on Wednesday, officials said.

The protesters assembled outside Dogra Chowk in the heart of the city and tried to take out a march in violation of prohibitory orders when police swung into action and restored to mild lathicharge before detaining several of them, the officials said.

The protesters raised slogans against the JKSSB for hiring APTECH Limited, the company which had been blacklisted in 2019, for conduct of computer-based tests.

A senior official of the JKSSB said there was no justification for the protest as the matter with regard to the hiring of APTECH company is “sub-judice”.

However, he said, the company was hired as per the central and J&K government guidelines as it has already completed the blacklisting period of three years in May last year.

“When we are selecting a company for conducting a written examination, we also employ checks and balances to ensure transparency, accountability and fairness in the selection. We are following a procedure which is matching the standards of major national level recruitment agencies,” the official said.

Chanting slogans like “APTECH go back” and “we want justice”, the protesters said they are concerned about their future as they are crossing the age limit due to the alleged failure of the administration to complete the recruitment process on time.