Big relief to agitating candidates of PSTs; CS assures re-examine of applications; Director (Education) sticks to his decree, yet

TMI Correspondent

Port Blair: 194 candidates' names appeared in the selected list against 224 posts of PST (Primary School Teacher) for three different mediums (Hindi-89, English-90 and Bengali-45) under Directorate of Education, A&N Administration. The number of total applications is 'unknown', it is 'unknown', because the department is not ready to reveal the total number of applications they had received, and put rest of posts declared as unfilled without showing proper reasons.

The desiring candidates about in 100s, whose names are not appeared in the selected list of PSTs without conveying proper reasons by the Directorate of Education, are demanding for claims, objection and rectification facilities as done earlier times during recruitment of teachers in the Directorate of Education, A&N Administration in free and fair manner. But the Director of Education, Shri Shubhankar Ghosh was stick in his rules and denies providing the claims, objection and rectification opportunity to the applicants.

Since then i.e. from Dec 17, 2018 through day and night braving the rain, a large number of candidates who have allegedly been deprived of their inclusion in the merit list despite meritorious marks than many others displayed in the list are started protesting in front of the Directorate of Education Office at VIP Road, Port Blair demanding put on hold the recruitment process of PSTs.

Speaking to this correspondent, the protesting candidates said that, 'the Director of Education has refused to budge from his stand and has maintained that the recruitment process of the selected candidates would not be halted in any circumstance'. And he advises us to submit a representation and if the allegations were found true, corrective action will be taken. We are unable to understand that, why this hurry attitude taking place in the entire process by this Director (Education) Shubhankar Ghosh.

'I have also applied in Nov./Dec. 2015, when such applications were invited for about 5 PST posts, I was stood at 5th in merit list, but due to some reasons dropped down to 6th, and after free and fair verification when too, claims & objections were invited and finally the final list was published in the month of April 2016, which can be called justified. But this time, it is deprived of our rightful due', said a candidate among protesting group.

Meanwhile, the political parties have voiced their support to agitating candidates. Local leaders from various parties have also met the Director (Education) to express agitating candidates' concern, but in return the Shubhankar Ghosh told all most to all of them that, 'it was clearly mentioned in the notification of July 16, 2018, you can check it out', and sent them back.

The Joint Action Forum, General Secretary, Abdul Siddique alleges that entire PST selection process seems smack of corruption and nepotism. The deserving candidates have been deprived of their rightful due. 'JAF suspects that a large number of candidates from outside Andamans have found their place in the dubious merit list, he further said that the whole process lacks transparency and against the interest of local candidates'.

However, the Director (Education), Shubhankar Ghosh said above at many occasions that the notification of July 16, 2018 is detailed with terms and conditions. When this correspondent researched about the notification and finds that Press Note of Directorate of Education F.No.8-10(1056)/Edn/Estt/CCB/Rect(DR)/2018/ dtd: 16th July 2018, undersigned by Deputy Director Education (Perl) is found incomplete and in that too advised the candidates to download terms and conditions from official website: www.education.andaman.gov.in and www.and.nic.in. The correspondent still trying to find whereabouts of terms and conditions, the Direction (Education) talking about and had stick into.

However, agitating candidates have informed this correspondent that, 'a delegation of 8 members on behalf of protesting candidates have met the Chief Secretary, Mr. Chetan Bhushan Sanghi today (19/12/2018) evening, the Chief Secretary after hearing their grievances has asked the delegation to submit their representation in written with documents, and he also assured to look into personally and will direct to re-exam and verify all the applications. He further assured that, the appointed orders will not be given to any of the listed candidates until and unless clarify all points raised by the protesting candidates'.