[ Amar Sangno ]
ITANAGAR, Jun 3: The walk-in-interview for the posts of counsellors and web managers-cum-administrator of the legal metrology and consumers affairs department, which was held on Wednesday under questionable circumstances, has been extended for a period of seven days after Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s intervention.
The aspirants raised questions over the date of the interview and advertisement on social media, tagging the chief minister and the chief secretary.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu swiftly reacted and directed the chief secretary to look into the matter.
Surrounded by the barrage of criticism, the department later issued a corrigendum stating that the walk-in- interview shall be continued from 11 June, 2020 at the same venue.
Controversy sparked after the department issued a public notice for a walk-in-interview on the same day the advertisement was published in this daily, that is, 3 June, 2020.
The date of the department’s advertisement has cast serious doubt over the fairness of the interview and has shocked many candidates who were not aware that interview would be conducted on Wednesday itself.
“The manner they published the notice about the date of interview, without giving time to candidates itself implies that interview is undoubtedly fixed,” said a candidate who could not make it to the interview on Wednesday.
“How can they blatantly try to fool the public by publishing an advertisement about the date of interview on the same date?” he further questioned.
Sources said that the legal metrology and consumers affairs department had prepared a public notice regarding the date of the walk-in-interview on Monday. However, the department had issued the advertisement to the department of IPR on Tuesday.
Accordingly, the IPR department had sent the notification to The Arunachal Times for publication on Tuesday on the basis of the IPR department’s advertisement roster for publication on Wednesday.
It is learnt that more than 70 candidates had appeared for the interview on Wednesday. However, the interview had to be called off after the CM gave directions to the CS to look into the matter as it was drawing flak from all quarters.
Legal Metrology and Consumer Affairs Controller Hoktum Ori did not respond to the queries sent by this daily over the controversial advertisement regarding the date of the walk-in-interview.
