NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, FEB 21
The Madras High Court ordered an interim stay in the recruitment of more than 8,000 posts in Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services in response to a petition that sought a CBI probe into alleged malpractices in the recruitment by Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB).
Expressing displeasure, Justice N Anand Venkatesh, before whom the petition came up, observed that people will lose confidence in the state if there is fraud in every public service examination.
As many as 15 people had moved the court seeking probe by the central agency even as ripples created by the TNPSC recruitment scam are yet to be settled down in the state.
“About 1,019 candidates have been selected from Vellore district and another 763 were chosen from exam centres in Villupuram. All of these candidates were declared to have secured more than 72 marks in the exam. Most of those selected from Vellore are from Sigaram Tuition Centre,” according to the petition.
A notification was issued by TNUSRB in 2019 for filling 8,888 vacant posts of grade-II constables, firemen and jail wardens. Written exams were conducted on August 25 last year and physical examination and endurance tests were held in November 2019.
According to the petitioners, the board published a provisional selection list on February 4 in which their names did not feature, though they had cleared the written exam and physical test. The petitioners contended that most of the candidates selected had secured 69 marks and the highest seems to be 88 marks by a candidate for the post of fireman. Expressing shock that cut-off marks were not published for any category, the petitioners sought the court’s intervention in the matter.
Besides irregularities in the selection process, 20% reservation for people who studied in Tamil medium has not been provided in the recruitment, the petitioners said.
The petitioners had wanted the court to call for the records of the provisional list and quash the same besides ordering a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities.
As an interim relief, the 15 petitioners had requested the court to direct the board to produce their OMR answer sheets.
On Thursday, when the petition came up for hearing, Justice N Anand Venkatesh ordered that the entire selection shall be kept in abeyance for a period of one week considering the allegations made. Directing the recruiting body to respond on the matter, the court adjourned the petition to March 5.
