Ranchi: Jharkhand high court on Friday stayed state govt’s orders scrapping the controversial Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) and Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) recruitments, providing relief to more than 2,000 newly appointed officers. In a similar order on Thursday, the court stayed cancellation of three other JPSC recruitments.The latest intervention has added a fresh twist to the politically charged recruitment row that has dominated Jharkhand’s public discourse for nearly a month.The JMM-led govt had on Wednesday ended a 26-day student protest by scrapping 22 recruitment exams over alleged malpractice. The move, however, triggered protests by nearly 3,000 newly appointed candidates who had secured jobs after clearing the cancelled examinations.Close to midnight, the govt notified cancellation of 21 JPSC exams for recruitment of lecturers, forest officers, public prosecutors, child development officers, food safety officers and civil judges, among others. It also cancelled the 2024 JSSC CGL exam held to recruit around 2,000 assistant section officers.Hearing petitions filed by candidates whose appointments were terminated, Justice Deepak Roshan observed that their services had been ended without giving them an opportunity to present their case.The petitioners argued that no notice had been served before termination, violating the principles of natural justice. The court directed the state govt to file its response by Sept 7 and fixed Sept 15 for the next hearing. It also allowed the ongoing CID investigations to continue and directed the govt to place the progress of the probe before the court.The order triggered celebrations outside Project Building in Ranchi, where affected candidates had been protesting for three days demanding restoration of their jobs.The verdicts, however, further angered students demanding cancellation of the CGL examination and other recruitments over alleged irregularities.Hunger striker Devendra Nath Mahto-led JPSC Nyay Manch announced statewide recruitment reforms beginning from Nemra in Ramgarh, native village of Hemant, on Aug 24, followed by a CM house gherao on Sept 15.Members of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch burnt effigies of chief minister Hemant Soren and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in several districts on Friday.Tension flared in Ranchi and elsewhere after protesters allegedly faced heavy resistance from JMM supporters, leading to confrontations and keeping police on alert. Heavy crowds on Main Road caused major traffic disruptions and long snarls through the evening.Anticipating a fresh stir, Ranchi district administration imposed restrictions at Jaipal Singh Stadium, the epicentre of the 26-day student agitation, and locked its gates to prevent fresh sit-ins and protest gatherings.Ajsu-P, an opposition NDA ally in the state, said the students’ struggle had now turned into a battle akin to the Mahabharata, with successful and unsuccessful candidates pitted against each other.“In an attempt to suppress recruitment scams, a game of deceit, manipulation and betrayal has been played in such a manner by govt that successful and unsuccessful candidates now stand opposed to one another,” he said.JMM MLA and veteran party worker Hemlal Murmu defended the govt, calling it sensitive towards students, and accused BJP and the opposition of using the issue for political mileage.“Following rounds of negotiations, the govt had finally agreed to the students’ demands after which they ended their stir. Now, BJP and opposition are again trying to flare up fresh unrest using students,” he said.
