Police recruitment in Chamba lands in controversy

DHARAMSHALA: Himachal Pradesh Police recruitment has landed in a deep controversy after rejection of about 1,500 applications from tribal area of Chamba district .

Most of the applicants are from backward area and have submitted their fee. Police department is recruiting about 1063 constables in state for which recruitment process is on.

There are nearly 80 vacancies for Chamba.

Shiv Kumar, an applicant talking to TOI said that while submitting his application they were asked for their ST status and now his application has been rejected as he had applied in tribal category.

“The recruitment process is schedule to take place in second week of July” he said.

Rohit Kumar a resident of Bharmour, another applicant said that he is taking coaching from Dharamshala (100km away from Bharmour) and paying around 4,000 per month. “I have got the message that my application has been rejected” he added.

Inquiries revealed that for male category there were 54 posts for constables and 10 drivers. For females the number of posts was 16.

Sources told that the applications received were around 5,000 out of which nearly 3,000 were accepted and rest of them have been rejected. Most of the rejected applications were said to be from Pangi and Bharmour area.

Repeated attempts to contact HP DGP SR Mardi proved futile.

Monika Bhutungru, Superintendent of Police when contacted said that they are looking into this issue and were collecting the name of the applicants whose applications have been rejected.

“I am providing a number to those whose forms have been rejected. We are looking into this issue. There are no reservations for male in ST category” she said.

Congress has taken up this issue in the region against BJP government. Party leaders are contacting the youths from tribal area and are going to take up this issue with BJP Chief Minister Jairam Thakur.

Surjeet Bharmouri, state secretary of NSUI who belongs to Bharmour area of Chamba district said that they are going to let the BJP government wash off their hands from this issue.

“This is the plight of youths from backward area of a district which is already backward. It is very tough for them to arrange funds and still they are managing to fund their coaching and all other arrangements to appear in recruitment” he said adding that government should not have accepted their applications at time they were filling.