MLA Hazaratbal Salman Ali Sagar on Thursday urged Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to waive off the examination form fee for aspiring candidates applying for various posts through government recruitment agencies.
Talking to the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Salman said that youth from Jammu and Kashmir applying for various posts advertised through recruitment boards should not be charged any examination fee, as it leaves them in dire straits and adds an extra financial burden on their families. He pointed out that it is ironic that government recruitment boards are charging hefty sums as examination fees from aspiring candidates applying for one or more posts. “In other parts of the country, candidates are charged a minimal amount of Rs 100. However, here in Jammu and Kashmir, the examination fee for a single post is Rs 1000, and if a candidate is applying for multiple posts, they are charged multiple times. Additionally, we have seen candidates being charged hefty sums, only to find out later that the advertisements were canceled, and the candidates were not refunded. This has to stop—sooner the better,” Salman said.
He added that he has already raised the matter with Education Minister Ms. Sakina Yatoo, who assured him that the issue would be resolved, as it stands pledged in the National Conference’s poll manifesto. “We will not allow the recruitment boards to turn into money-minting machines. Hundreds of crores have been taken from aspiring candidates by government recruitment agencies, even when the posts were only advertised and candidates were never called for examinations. I urge Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who has already made his stance clear regarding providing every possible relief to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, to order a complete waiver of the examination fee. This will not only inspire and encourage more youth to apply for the posts but will also provide them with much-needed respite amid the spiraling unemployment crisis that the state has faced for more than a decade now,” Salman said.
