MARGAO
The South Goa district administration has finally set in motion the examination schedule to fill up the 147 posts of Jr stenographers, LDCs, multi-tasking force staff and talathis, beginning with the examination for Jr stenographers on September 29-30.
Questions, however, have been raised in certain quarters whether the candidates, running into thousands, will receive the examination schedule intimation on time with the authorities sending many an intimation via post based on the village or two address of the candidates sans the house numbers or the local vaddos.
Even as a couple of examination intimations based on the village address sans house numbers went viral, South district authorities were quick to point out that postal mode is one amongst the modes through which the candidates were being intimated of the ensuing examination schedule.
A senior official attached to the district Collectorate pointed out that that district Collector, Asvin Chandru, IAS has already issued a public notice intimating all the eligible candidates of the examination scheduled fixed by the Collector to fill up the 147 vacancies. Besides the Collector’s public notice, the official pointed out that the candidates can visit the website and download the admit card seeking entry to the examination centres. “We do not think any injustice will be done to any candidate just because the intimations are being sent via post on the village or town addresses sans House No. or the local vaddos of the candidates,” the official said.
The official added: “Collectorate officials have been engaged in a mammoth exercise of sending intimations to 30,000-plus candidates. Many a candidate, in their addresses mentioned in the application forms has only cited their village address without making a mention of the house numbers.”
Sources, however, wondered whether the examination intimation will reach the doorsteps of the candidates on time given that the mail is being sent on the address of the candidate’s village or town sans the house numbers. “We do not know whether the village postman will take the trouble to scout for the candidates in the absence of house numbers or vaddos of the candidates,” remarked a consumer rights activist.
The activist added: “Just imagine a situation if a candidate receives the intimation after the date of examination. This may be a case to stall the examination process.”
30,114 applications received for 147 posts
MARGAO: The office of the South Goa District Collector had received a whopping 30,114 applications for the 147 posts of Jr Stenographers, Talathis, LDCs and MTS staff when the Collectorate had first invited applications for the vacant posts a little over four and half years ago.
Many a candidate had even burnt midnight oil as they joined the queue of applicants to submit their applications as per the prescribed process.
In fact, serpentine queue of job seekers marked the process for the submission of application forms four years ago.
Officials, however, maintained that though the Collectorate has received a whopping 30,114 applications, the number of overall candidates may be comparatively less, with many a candidate applying for more than one post.
A glance at the number of applications received by the district Collectorate shows that the highest number of applications were received for the 92 post of Lower Divisional Clerks, around 15,601 applications to be precise.
While around 1,953 candidates had applied for the 5 posts of Jr Stenographers, around 6,509 applications were received for the post of nine talathis. The 31 posts multi-tasking staff had received around 6,051 applications.
It’s now third time examinations process has been announced
MARGAO: This is the third time that the South Goa District Collectorate has announced the examination schedule to fill up the 147 posts in the last four years and half.
It was on January 24, 2019 that the then South Goa District Collector had invited applications to fill up the 147 posts of Jr Stenographers, LDCs, Talathis and Multi-tasking staff. Based on the advertisement, thousands of job seekers made a beeline to submit their applications for the jobs up for grabs at the Collectorate.
Sadly, the process did not move forward to its logical conclusion and the intervening COVID pandemic further delayed the process. Why the district authorities did not take the process to its logical conclusion after the COVID pandemic subsided is still a mystery.
Hopes, however, were raised early this year after the incumbent South Goa District Collector, Asvin Chandru announced the examination scheduled in mid-April.
After the examination scheduled was made public with the South Goa Collector finalising the dates of the examination for the different category of posts, the process came to a halt again in view of the election code of conduct in force for the elections for the Ponda and Sanquelim Municipal polls, leaving the thousands of candidates high and dry.
Incidentally, while the results of the Municipal polls were out in the first week of May last, the fresh dates for the examination schedule has been announced only on Wednesday for the 147 posts.
