Only 34 out of over 700 candidates qualify for skill test
MARGAO
The Margao Municipal Council’s (MMC) decision to fix 58 marks as the cut-off for passing the written test for the posts of lower division clerks (LDCs) has come under criticism from NGOs and political parties. They have claimed that only 34 out of around 700 candidates have qualified for the skill test due to the high cut-off.
The Margao Congress block criticised the decision, alleging that the passing mark of 58 out of 100 was fixed arbitrarily to prevent eligible candidates from qualifying for the skill test.
Madganvcho Awaaz leader Prabhav Naik has also raised serious concerns over the examination process.
Both the Congress and Madganvcho Awaaz have sought the immediate intervention of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and demanded that the recruitment process be scrapped.
Questioning the decision, Congress leader Savio Coutinho said fixing 58 marks as the passing score had helped vested interests within the Council to reduce the number of shortlisted candidates to just 34. He pointed out that although 1,767 candidates had applied, only 718 appeared for the written test held last year. “With the passing marks set so high, hundreds of eligible candidates have been eliminated from the skill test,” he said.
Coutinho warned that if the authorities failed to act, the matter would be taken to the High Court.
Meanwhile, Prabhav Naik demanded the immediate cancellation of the recruitment process, citing serious inconsistencies, lack of transparency and questionable decisions. He said the process had lost credibility and public trust.
