Guwahati: Right from the cash for job scam in Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) in 2016 to question paper leaks in various recruitment examinations and the latest busting of multiple rackets minting money by assuring jobs clearly highlighted how gullible job aspirants of Assam being taken for a ride over the years.
Every time the Assam government or its agencies held a recruitment examination, fraudsters, mostly based out of the state, take the opportunity to make some money often by duping candidates.
Even the recent Direct Recruitment Examination came under public scrutiny after claims of question paper leaks were made by one Victor Das. However, he was later arrested on charges of spreading rumour.
Assam government’s spokesperson and cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika said, “No one can give jobs including me. I request all the youths of the state not to believe in such middlemen and rackets. They are lying. Only one’s merit will get them job.”
On Tuesday, police arrested one more fraudster identified as Ranjan Bhuyan from Mariani in Jorhat district for allegedly duping candidates in the pretext of providing them jobs. Ranjan Bhuyan hailing from Tezpur in Sonitpur district allegedly asked money from candidates to provide jobs in the armed forces.
According to sources, he was part of a huge racket of fraudsters who had been allegedly been defrauding young people for a very long time by promising them jobs.
“The fraudsters camped out at the Loknath Vivah Bhawan in Jorhat and targeted applicants who had come to the Military Engineer Services (MES) army camp for an interview,” sources added. Four other accused were currently on the run. The police investigation was underway to nab the other culprits.
Earlier on Monday, the Dispur police arrested seven people from a lodge in Borbari area in Guwahati for allegedly running a racket of cash for jobs.
Assam Police, however, defied that the racket has any connection to the recent recruitment drive. “The arrested brokers prepared fake appointment letters for jobs in various government departments in exchange for cash,” police said.
Subsequently, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma held a meeting on Monday evening to review vacancies in Assam Police, Education, PNRD, Health & Family Welfare, PWD, Irrigation, Personnel departments.
Taking to Twitter, Sarma wrote, “We’re on course of fulfilling our promise to provide 1 lakh jobs. Held a meeting to review vacancies in Assam Police, Education, PNRD, Health & Family Welfare, PWD, Irrigation, Personnel, etc., depts. Directed officials to take measures to fill the vacancies as soon as possible.”
In May, Sarma while handing over appointment letters to new recruits said, “By handing over appointment letters to 22,958 recruits in 11 departments, we have tried to set a new precedent in transparent appointments to government jobs.”
Sarma while coming to power in 2021 promised of one lakh jobs within one year and a fair recruitment process.
Meanwhile, over 70 people, including several state civil service and police officers and APSC chairperson Rakesh Paul, were arrested since 2016 in connection to the cash for job scam of APSC. The APSC scam had already exposed how jobs aspirants paid lakhs of rupees to get selected in government jobs.
