In a bold move to draw attention to their prolonged recruitment issues, candidates for the positions of fire operator and driver under the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) embarked on a half-naked protest march towards the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in New Delhi. The protest began in Panchkula today, with over 150 aspirants participating.
Carrying placards emphasising their desire for the recruitment process to be completed, the job seekers, who are members of HSSC’s CET Group-20, began their march from the commission’s office in Sector 2, Panchkula. The applicants have been dissatisfied with the prolonged wait times since the state administration announced the exams in 2020. The primary examinations were held in December 2023 after preliminary testing was completed in November 2022, and the results were released in February 2024.
One of the protesting youth remarked, “The HSSC had released the results for 850 candidates but left them for a review. It issued recruitment letters to only 238 applicants. Since then, we have been waiting for the completion of the recruitment process.”
Yogesh, another aspirant, shared his frustration, saying, “We had earlier held a march from Panchkula to Karnal and met Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini in May. He assured us that the state would complete the recruitment process after the code of conduct was lifted. It has been three months since the meeting, and the state government has failed to complete the recruitment process.”
Despite the hindrances and absence of accomplishment, demonstrators have resolved to proceed to the PM’s place to present their requests to him directly in the hope that their concerns may be addressed. “We would be handing over our demands to the Prime Minister’s chamber,” said another protestor indicative of how far the group is ready to go until its recruitment cycle is complete.
