GUWAHATI, June 21 - At a time when various organizations and outfits in Assam and the Northeast have repeatedly called for reservation of Grade C and Grade D posts for locals in the Indian Railways, not even a single candidate from this region has been selected for filling up of vacancies for the positions of commercial inspector and commercial clerk in the Northeast Frontier Railway.
A total of 51 candidates were selected for the posts after completion of a two-year training period as commercial apprentice at the Zonal Railway Training Institute, Alipurduar, followed by passing out the final written examination.
A letter in possession of this newspaper shows that none of the 51 candidates are from Assam and the Northeast.
The letter was written on June 16 by RN Tiwari, Assistant Personnel Officer (APO) Training, on behalf of the NF Railway General Manager.
The letter contains the names of all 51 candidates who have been selected for the posts of commercial inspector and commercial clerk, after completion of the two-year training period and the written exam, and they have been directed to report to their respective divisions for further posting.
The candidates had initially been selected as commercial apprentice in 2015 and sent for the two-year training.
Organizations like the All Assam Students Union have termed the entire incident as discrimination against local youths from this region.
On being contacted, NF Railway officials said that recruitment for jobs in the Indian Railways is done on all-India basis and there is no provision for �region-specific� reservation of jobs.
�The candidates have been selected on the basis of merit. There is no reason for controversy as everything has been done as per the rule books,� said an NFR official.
