Manipur: MSPDCL, MSPCL job aspirants call 24 hour statewide bandh over recruitment delay

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the All Manipur MSPDCL & MSPCL Exam Completed Candidates, 2019 has announced a 24-hour statewide bandh from midnight on August 4, escalating its protest against the prolonged delay in the recruitment process for posts under the Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited (MSPDCL) and the Manipur State Power Company Limited (MSPCL).

The JAC said the decision was taken after repeated representations to the government failed to yield any response regarding the recruitment examination conducted in 2019 for 907 Group C and Group D posts.

Addressing the media, JAC member Yumkhaibam Manoj said the candidates had exhausted all democratic means to seek redress, including submitting memorandums to successive governments, seeking appointments with the Chief Minister and organising peaceful demonstrations, but their demands remained unaddressed.

According to the JAC, although the recruitment examination was conducted in 2019, the results have not been declared for nearly seven years, leaving hundreds of candidates in uncertainty.

The committee urged the authorities to revoke the cancellation order issued during the period of President's Rule instead of scrapping the recruitment process. It demanded the immediate declaration of the examination results, arguing that the prolonged delay has adversely affected the candidates' careers.

The JAC also claimed that many aspirants have lost employment opportunities due to the delay, while several have exceeded the upper age limit for other government recruitment examinations.

The committee further alleged that its members were recently prevented from meeting the authorities after attempting to march to the Chief Minister's Secretariat to submit their demands.

With no official response forthcoming, the JAC said the 24-hour bandh was being organised to press for early resolution of the recruitment issue and the declaration of the pending examination results.