Kartik Kumar
Pakur
Student leader Devendra Nath Mahato reached Pakur on Saturday as part of his “Recruitment System Reform Yatra”, demanding a transparent and corruption-free recruitment process in Jharkhand. Local students and youths accorded him a warm welcome near the Sido-Kanhu Murmu Park in the town. JLKM leader Mark Baskey and a large number of youths were present on the occasion.
Addressing a gathering at the park, Mahato strongly criticised the state’s existing recruitment system and warned the government of a statewide agitation if the concerns of job aspirants were not addressed.
Mahato said the yatra had begun from Nemra, the ancestral village of Dishom Guru Shibu Soren, and that Pakur was the sixth stop of the campaign. He said the movement was not directed against any particular individual or political party but against alleged irregularities and corruption in the recruitment system.
He said the campaign was being conducted under the slogan “24 districts, 24 resolutions” and would continue until the rights of Jharkhand’s youth were protected.
Alleging widespread corruption in recruitment, Mahato claimed that 60 to 70 per cent of posts, ranging from constables, teachers and sub-inspectors to senior administrative positions such as JPSC, BDO, CO and DSP, were being “sold”. He alleged that financially weaker candidates who spend years preparing for competitive examinations were being deprived of opportunities because of corruption.
Mahato also claimed that sustained student protests, hunger strikes and demonstrations in Ranchi had forced the government to take action in 45 examinations. According to his claim, 22 examinations were cancelled after irregularities surfaced during CID investigations, 17 were ordered to be investigated and six were put on hold.
Referring to recent arrests in the JSSC-CGL examination case, he described the action as a major victory for the student movement and said it demonstrated the impact of collective student mobilisation.
The student leader demanded that investigating agencies should not restrict their probe to candidates or lower-level functionaries. He said that if senior officials, IAS officers or ministers were found to be involved in examination-related irregularities, they should also face strict legal action.
Mahato warned that if the government failed to introduce a transparent and locally oriented recruitment policy and did not take effective measures to prevent paper leaks, the student community would be compelled to launch an indefinite road blockade and a complete statewide “Jharkhand Bandh”.
Mark Baskey and several other students and activists were present during the programme.
