Arunachal: Unemployed nurses association accuses health department of malpractices in recruitment process

All Arunachal Pradesh Unemployed Nurses Association (AAPUNA) has accused the health department of malpractices in the recruitment process of contractual nursing officers (CNOs) which came to the limelight after the directorate of health services (DHS) conducted recruitment of CNOs on August 21 and proceed for holding viva-voice test on August 23.

The candidates of East Kameng, Itanagar Capital Region (ICR), Upper Subansiri, West Siang and East Siang districts alleged irregularities and manipulation in the recent recruitment of 90 CNOs under the NHM and sought re-conduct of recruitment.

“We need justice and clarification from the department concerned on what basis many names were not found in the qualified candidate list for the viva-voice test, said AAPUNA vice president Mekam Natung, also a candidate.

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All candidates were handed over a Xerox copy of the question paper due to its shortages from an unsealed pocket, Natung alleged, adding the candidates were not checked properly prior to entering the examination hall and blamed the health department for playing with patients’ lives as those selected would be dealing with thousands of patients.

ICR candidates, who appeared in the examination, levelled similar allegations, saying there was no provision for an OMR sheet and that the question paper was for 80 marks instead of 100 marks. There was no proper seat arrangement or timekeeper and candidates were allowed to sit in the examination hall by writing a roll number with chalk, claimed AAPUNA president K Akin, also a candidate.

Informing that admit card was dispatched just a day before the examination, they demanded the conduct of a free & fair examination to ensure proper selection.

This is another job scam even before the APPSC  ‘cash-for-jobs’ scandal is resolved’, Akin rued while all urged the state Govt to centralize the recruitment process instead of the present decentralization system and alleged that the genuine unemployed youth have been deprived due to irregularities.

The state Govt should be ashamed of the report doing rounds on social media with candidates alleging malpractices in the examination process.

Upper Subansiri district’s aspirant alleged that the roll number of the candidate was found already written in the answer sheet, which is a first of its kind in any examination.

“Negative marking was not mentioned in the guidelines but the invigilator informed them of the deduction of 3 marks for each wrong answer,” a candidate claimed.

Seppa DC Sachin Rana, talking to media persons, informed that district administration was given only a master copy by the DHS as per the norms. There may be a fault in frisking female candidates as the matter is sensitive, he added, responding to the poor management of checking at the entry gate.

The DHS authority could not contacted for confirmation.

It is worth mentioning here that in 2020, the state police special investigation cell arrested a few persons in connection with a case related to alleged malpractices in the recruitment of nursing officers conducted at Tezu.