Air service disturbances: Omar Abdullah writes to PSC to postpone JKAS Exam

Jammu, Dec 6 (IANS) J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday wrote to the chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) to postpone the JKAS exam scheduled for December 7 amid the air service disturbances.

In a letter addressed to the J&K PSC Chairman, the Chief Minister said that the ongoing widespread disruption in air services has caused chaos across the region.

“This is further compounded due to the present uncertainty arising out of the delay in the proposal regarding age relaxation, an enabling provision that has been extended multiple times in the past,” he said.

The Chief Minister further said that these factors have placed unprecedented mental and logistical stress on the competing candidates.

“Keeping in view the principles of fairness, equity and equal opportunity for all aspirants, I would urge the commission to take cognisance of the prevailing circumstances and consider postponement of the scheduled examination by a reasonable duration purely in the interest of the candidates,” read the letter of the Chief Minister.

Omar Abdullah’s letter followed a statement by the L-G that the file about the conduct of the JKAS exam was not pending with the Lok Bhavan.

Former Chief Minister and President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti, on Saturday, also appealed to the L-G and the Chief Minister to come to the rescue of hundreds of aspirants, as they are not assured whether they are eligible for the present exam or not.

Tanvir Sadiq, Chief Spokesman of the ruling National Conference (NC) and MLA, had said that the file on the age relaxation for aspirants of JKAS had already been submitted for approval to the Lok Bhavan.

CPI M leader and MLA, M.Y. Tarigami, also sympathised with the aspirants waiting for clarity on the issue of age relaxation being applied to the aspirants taking tomorrow’s JKAS exam.

Earlier, L-G dispelled media reports that the file specifically about the conduct of the JKAS exam was pending with the Lok Bhavan, asserting that the file pertained to age relaxation and was returned to the government with a query on December 2, the same day it was received by the Lok Bhavan.

J&K PSC, conducting the JKAS competitive exam, has already issued admit cards to the candidates for the exam scheduled for December 7 across J&K.

--IANS

sq/dan