ITANAGAR, Jun 5: Embarrassed by a barrage of criticism over its publishing the advertisement for an interview on the same day that the interview was to be conducted, the legal metrology & consumer affairs (LMCA) department on Friday clarified that there was a “shortage of time span in between publication of the advertisement and the date of interview, but there was no any intention of defraud by this department.”
In a press release, it said its sole aim was to make the state consumer helpline functional at the earliest for the greater welfare of the state’s consumers.
Clarifying the episode, the department said: “We moved a proposal to the state government for improving the activities of the state consumer helpline and to make it more effective by creating some contractual posts of web manager-cum-administrator (1) and counsellor (2).”
It said the state government examined the importance of the proposal and agreed in principle to extend all possible help and support during the BE 2020-21 meeting.
“Accordingly, it was decided to materialize the proposal at the earliest, so that people could take the benefit of this consumer helpline, especially during this crisis period due to Covid-19,” the department said.
“So, the proposal for walk-in interview was moved on 28 May and accorded approval by the concerned minister through secretary on 29 May to conduct the same on 3 June,” it added.
“On Monday (as Saturday and Sunday were holidays), due to heavy workload, the letter to DIPR could be signed in the late afternoon, due to which the same could not be delivered to IPR on 1 June (Monday). Hence, the said letter with the advertisement for the walk-in interview was delivered to DIPR on 2 June, which was published on 3 June (the day fixed for the interview),” it said.
On demands by people on social media that the walk-in interview should have been handed over to the APSSB, the department clarified that the posts in question “are not regular government sanctioned ones but contractual posts with fixed salaries under a scheme for which the department shoulders the responsibility.”
