Former Haryana chief minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday criticised the Haryana Public Service Commission’s (HPSC) 35 per cent minimum cut-off policy. He called it harmful to employment opportunities and the reservation system in the state.
Hooda said the policy, implemented by the BJP government, was a conspiracy to deprive Haryana’s youth of their rights. He alleged that the cut-off policy was leading to vacant posts and weakening reservation benefits.
He said many eligible candidates were being declared unsuccessful despite vacancies remaining unfilled. “Haryana’s youth are already facing unemployment.
Now, this arbitrary 35 per cent cut-off policy of the HPSC is failing eligible candidates and keeping posts vacant. Thousands of positions in various subjects like Assistant Professor and PGT recruitments are lying vacant, even though eligible candidates are available,” Hooda said.
Earlier, a delegation of HPSC candidates, who have been protesting in Panchkula, met Hooda and submitted a memorandum. The candidates said reserved categories, including BC-A, BC-B, SC, DSC and EWS, were the worst affected, with very few candidates qualifying under the policy.
They alleged that reservation was being reduced to a formality and that the policy prioritised absolute merit over relative merit, adversely impacting the future of the youth.
The candidates demanded the immediate abolition of the 35 per cent cut-off in the SKT and subjective papers, conducting of examinations again due to alleged irregularities, calling at least twice the number of candidates for interviews, transparency in evaluation, and immediate filling of all vacant posts.
Hooda supported the demands and urged the government to address the problems faced by the youth without delay. He said the BJP should abandon its anti-Haryana approach and work in the best interest of the state.
Employees of the Haryana Skill Employment Corporation also met Hooda and submitted a memorandum regarding non-payment of salaries. The employees, working in HSIIDC and other departments, said their names were not appearing on the official portal.
As a result, they claimed they had not received salaries for the past three months. “They have appealed to all the senior officials and offices, but the problem remains unresolved. They said the government is at fault, and these poor employees are the ones suffering. They are finding it difficult to make ends meet,” he said.
He demanded that all pending salaries be paid immediately, along with interest.
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