Agitators go on indefinite hunger strike, Rlys gives verbal assurance
NEWDELHI: When Pawan Bundela, 30, cleared the Group D exam of the Railway Recruitment Board in March, he thought he would no longer be economically dependent on his family. Seven months down the line, on Thursday, the Jhansi resident was protesting at Mandi House with hundreds of other persons like him, demanding immediate release of their appointment letters.
Sitting with a group of persons with disabilities from across states, Bundela said the group would not leave the spot without their appointment letters. “We had appeared in the examination held last year. The results were declared in March and around 7,000 persons with disabilities had cleared the exams. We were even called for document verification. Later, we got to know that the result was declared invalid as more disabilities were added to the reserved seats,” he asked.
The candidates had then filed a petition in office of the chief commissioner for persons with disabilities. The matter is subjudice.
Officials at the railways denied to comment on the issue saying the matter is subjudice.
The protest began on Wednesday morning with a demand to meet the railway authorities. The protesters continued their agitation at the time of filing this report, with around 25 of them going on indefinite hunger strike. The protesters spent Wednesday night at the agitation site and slept on the pavement. “We are ready to spend our Diwali on the roads,” Bundela said.
Yashodha Chaudhary, 36, from Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh district, was among those on hunger strike. “I have three family members to feed back home. What do I do?” she said.
Saurabh Kumar of Toshiyas, an NGO, is leading the protest and met the railway authorities Thursday afternoon. “I have been given a verbal assurance that the Railways will absorb all 7,000 differently abled candidates who cleared the Group D exam in March. They said candidates will be absorbed in two phases within the next six months. They have requested us to end the protest for now. I will discuss this with others and decide,” he said.