Itanagar: On the direction of Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Cabinet Ministers Bamang Felix and Dr Mohesh Chai on Tuesday met the protesting candidates of Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission Combined Exam (APPSC CE) who are on hunger strike for past many days.
After a patient hearing to the grievances put forth by the agitating candidates, both the ministers appealed the candidates to withdraw their agitation owing to the fact that the matter is subjudice, an official communiqué informed. They also clarified that the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) is a Constitutional Autonomous Commission which independently functions. The state government has no authority to interfere in the commission’s matter.
“You all are our brothers and sisters and we cannot see you hurting yourselves”, said the ministers.
They appealed the protesting candidates to call off the hunger strike for the interest of all including the aggrieved candidates and take up their grievances in the appropriate forum for redressal, the communiqué added. Majority of the aspiring candidates resorted to hunger strike demanding the Commission to cancel the mains examination which was conducted recently after the Itanagar bench of Gauhati High Court in an order directed to conduct it but to hold the result till the issue pending with the court is resolved.
The agitating candidates have approach the court on several occasions in the past alleging anomalies in question papers of the preliminary exams conducted last year and this year.
Meanwhile, the state unit of National Peoples’Party (NPP) in a statement said that the APPSC has failed as an institution.
“The APPSC has committed mistakes in rapid succession, one after the other. It requires a severe course correction to where it is headed and the only way it can do so, is by first officially admitting its mistake,” the party said.
“The Expert Committee initiated by the courts is in the right direction. We are also sanguine to the outcome that the state government, in times to come, will undertake all appropriate measure towards redressing the genuine concern of those that have been denied equal opportunity across the board. We have firm believe in the Institution of the Courts and the government,” the party added.
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