Odisha govt cancels Home Guard test after irregularities; fixes fresh date

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Apr 24:

Gross irregularities in the conduct of recruitment examinations, especially in the police, are fast becoming routine in Odisha. A little more than a month after the written test for recruitment of constables in Odisha police had to be cancelled on the morning of the test after reports of a question leak, the Odisha government has cancelled the examination for recruitment of 60 Home Guards in Cuttack district in 2014 and asked the 1008 candidates who had appeared in the written and physical tests to apply afresh for the examinations.

The rescheduled written and physical tests would be held at the DRIEMS ground near Tangi from April 25 to 30.

The decision to annual the test conducted in 2014 was taken on the basis of the report of the IG (Central) confirming gross irregularities in the conduct of examinations, official sources said.

The state government has formed a three-member examination management committee for conduct of the examinations with the Cuttack district SP as its chairman and two DSPs as other members. The government has removed the Reserve Inspector from this new committee.

It may be mentioned that following allegations of collection of heavy amounts from the candidates, the then ADG, Fire Brigade and Home Guard, M Nageswar Rao had not approved the recruitment file and asked the IG, Central Range, RP Koche to probe the incident and submit a report.

The IG, in his report, has confirmed gross irregularities in the recruitment of candidates.

However, the names of the accused involved in the incident have not been made public as the probe report of the IG has been kept secret, sources said.

Now the questions are being asked about what the government is trying to prove after removing the Reserve Inspector from the new committee it has formed and why it has decided to conduct fresh examination instead of taking action against the accused.