GUWAHATI, June 1 - Alleging that the Indian Railways has been depriving the youths of the NE region with regard to jobs, a group of �deprived youths� has called upon the BJP-led State government at Dispur to take up the matter with the Centre so that locals can benefit from jobs in the railways.
Some youths who had applied for railway jobs have said that not even a single candidate from the north-eastern states was selected during the process to fill up 780 posts in the Railway Protection Force (RPF), of which 93 vacancies were in the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone.
The advertisement for 659 ancillary posts like those of constable dhobi, constable barber and constable safaiwala had been issued in December 2013 and later 121 more posts were added, said a statement issued by them. The RPF authorities issued guidelines through a directive in January 2015 under which a Kolkata-based firm was authorised to conduct the selection test.
A total of 20, 203 candidates from Assam had applied for the vacancies and of them applications of 18,761 were rejected without any reason being shown, they have alleged.
They further said that of the 1,442 candidates from Assam who were found eligible to appear for the exams, only 103 received call letters. Only 40 candidates from the NE, including 34 from Assam and six from Tripura, cleared the written test.
They said that the physical efficiency test was held at New Jalpaiguri in December 2015, where none of the candidates from the North East was found eligible and alleged that bonus points were given to male candidates who were above six feet in height and to females above five feet and seven inches.
They added that such policies discriminate against candidates from the North East who are generally of shorter height.
The group also said that there is no provision for engaging any private agency to conduct the selection process.
The deprived candidates from the State have already approached the Gauhati High Court in the matter, they said.
Stating that candidates from the NE have been selectively discriminated in recruitment for railway jobs over the years, the youths said the State government in Assam should take up the matter with the Centre.
