Civil service aspirants repeat SSB demand

Dimapur, Oct. 31 (EMN): Contending that the ‘cancer of backdoor appointments’ in the government sector could only be cured by a Staff Selection Board (SSB), the Public Service Aspirants of Nagaland (PSAN) has appealed to the government of Nagaland to establish the board at the earliest. In a statement issued on Thursday, the civil service aspirants reminded that the SSB has been a long-standing demand of the forum. “It is worth mentioning that PSAN has, since 2016, submitted numerous representations to the government on the urgent need for SSB, but to no avail. Successive governments have promised to look into the matter but there seems to be a general lack of political will to make SSB a reality. “The PSAN is, therefore, constrained to remind the lawmakers that their primary responsibility is to formulate policies for the growth and development of the citizens, and not to hand out backdoor appointment orders. Unemployment is one of the biggest problems in Nagaland, and it is further aggravated by the practice of backdoor appointment,” read the statement. It reasoned that with thousands of aspirants applying for clerical jobs in various departments, it has become an urgent necessity to set up SSB at the earliest. “Departmental exams are never free from suspicion of unfair practices. Hence, SSB should be constituted in the state for recruitment to all the Grade III posts that do not come under the purview of NPSC in order to pave the way for a free, fair and open recruitment and to promote the spirit of meritocracy among the youth of Nagaland,” it stated.