Staff REPORTER
ITANAGAR, Jun 27: The Arunachal Pradesh Aggrieved Aspirant Joint Steering Committee (APA-AJSC) has alleged serious irregularities in the recruitment process for Assistant Engineer (AE) and Junior Engineer (JE) posts under the Rural Works Department (RWD) and Hydro Power Development Department (HPDD), claiming that the existing recruitment rules unfairly allow Agriculture Engineering candidates to compete for Civil Engineering vacancies.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, APA-AJSC chairman Mering Rana said the committee has demanded corrective measures in the recruitment process and called for the termination of Agriculture Engineering candidates recruited to AE and JE posts under RWD and HPDD through the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC).
The committee urged the State Govt and the APPSC to review the recruitment rules, rectify alleged anomalies in the examination process and ensure that Civil Engineering posts are filled only by candidates possessing relevant professional qualifications. It also called for measures to uphold transparency, merit and public safety in engineering recruitment.
According to the committee, the inclusion of Agriculture Engineering graduates in the Arunachal Engineering Service Examination (AESE) and Junior Engineer Common Recruitment Examination (JECRE) for Civil Engineering posts violates recruitment norms and adversely affects Civil Engineering aspirants.
Rana argued that Civil Engineering and Agriculture Engineering are distinct disciplines with different academic curricula and professional responsibilities. While Civil Engineering focuses on structural design, transportation, surveying, geotechnics and infrastructure development, Agriculture Engineering primarily deals with farm machinery, irrigation, soil and water conservation, and post-harvest technology.
The committee also questioned the APPSC's examination pattern, alleging that separate question papers were set for Civil Engineering and Agriculture Engineering candidates despite both competing for the same vacancies. It claimed that such a system compromises the principle of uniform competition and may affect merit rankings.
Expressing concern over public safety and engineering standards, the committee maintained that departments such as RWD and HPDD require specialised Civil Engineering expertise, as they are responsible for the construction of roads, bridges, dams and other critical infrastructure projects.
The APA-AJSC further pointed out that Agriculture Engineering candidates were reportedly declared ineligible for certain HPDD posts in the recently conducted JECRE, while they were allowed to appear in the AESE for similar Civil Engineering positions. It described the differing eligibility criteria as contradictory and sought uniformity in future recruitment processes.
Claiming that the APPSC's approach deviates from recruitment practices followed by the Union Public Service Commission, the committee said it is considering legal action against those responsible for the alleged irregularities if the matter is not addressed.