Baramulla, Nov 9: PDP District President Baramulla, Mohd Rafique Rather, has strongly urged the Jammu & Kashmir Bank authorities and the JK Government to grant a one-time age relaxation to all eligible aspirants appearing in the recruitment process for Probationary Officers (POs) and Banking Associates. He also demanded an urgent review of the existing reservation criteria to ensure justice and fairness for candidates belonging to the Open Merit category.
Rather expressed serious concern over what he termed as a grave injustice to Open Merit aspirants, pointing out that nearly 70 per cent of the available opportunities are reportedly earmarked for reserved categories, leaving only around 30 per cent for 70 perceny Open Merit candidates. He said such an arrangement has created deep resentment among educated youth and raised serious questions about equal opportunities and merit-based selection.
Reminding the government of its election promises to ensure justice for Open Merit students, Rafoqie Rather lashed out at the ruling dispensation for failing to honour its commitments. He said that those who sought the mandate of the people on the promise of fairness and justice must explain why the aspirations of thousands of meritorious young people are being ignored today.
He further said that repeated delays and irregular recruitment cycles have already deprived many eligible candidates of precious years, pushing them beyond the prescribed upper age limit through no fault of their own. Denying them an opportunity now would amount to punishing educated youth for administrative failures.
“The future of our educated youth is being deliberately put at stake, and unfortunately, there seems to be nobody willing to come to their rescue. Merit cannot become a casualty of political promises and administrative failures.”
Rafique Rather asserted that the PDP would not remain silent over this grave injustice and would take up the issue at every appropriate political, administrative and institutional forum until the genuine concerns of the affected aspirants are addressed.
He appealed to the JK Bank management and the government to intervene immediately, provide one-time age relaxation and undertake a fair review of the reservation framework so that no deserving candidate is denied an opportunity to compete on equitable terms.
