Correspondent
KOHIMA, SEPTEMBER 23
A departmental examination of the state forest department for four posts of Forester-I which was set to be held Tuesday morning in the premises of Kohima Division Forest Office Complex, Kohima was intercepted by student bodies including the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) and All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) on the grounds that the department did not float advertisement about the vacancies. The NSF stand was how the department could have called 44 candidates to sit for the recruitment examination when the vacant posts were not advertised and publicised in the newspapers. “We have asked the department to cancel the exam as we feel that equal privilege should be given to all the educated youth,” said NSF auditor general, Jungithung Yanthan who led the team to stop the commencement of the exam.
He informed that the matter will be taken up with the concerned authorities why and how the recruitment was about to be conducted.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Nagaland, when contacted, said that the government had asked the department to conduct the examination and the latter was only complying with the order when the student bodies intervened and necessitated cancellation of the exam. The department will follow whatever the government further directs it to do, he stated.
Meanwhile, a candidate who turned up to sit for the recruitment exam expressed disappointment over the cancellation of the exam. He said if the NSF is really serious about the welfare of students then it should check all the departments where rampant (backdoor) appointments were being done instead of targeting a particular department.
When asked how he came to know about the vacancy, the young candidate replied that he had submitted his resume and application to the department in 2013 for consideration when a vacancy should arise and subsequently he got a calling letter to sit for the exam.
Another candidate remarked that while the NSF is doing a good job for pointing out anomalies in recruitment, they should check every department for irregular appointments and demand for fresh conduct of exams.
It was learnt that the four vacant posts in the forest department are Grade-IV posts and do not fall under the purview of the Nagaland Public Service Commission.
