Ranchi, Jan. 12: Uncertainty clouds the fate of nearly 800 youths, including 600 tribals, from Jharkhand selected for the post of assistants through the Bihar Public Service Commission.

The Jharkhand government is reluctant to appoint the candidates selected by BPSC even though the appointment process was initiated during the unified Bihar days.

The state government had passed an order in 2001 saying it would not be binding on Jharkhand to accept any recommendation for appointment by any Bihar agency after November 15, 2000.

But as the appointment process started before the formation of Jhakhand, the successful candidates, who do not know whom to blame — Bihar or Jharkhand — are planning to move the Supreme Court.

“The appointment process would have been expedited during the unified Bihar days, but it was delayed due to the large number of candidates taking the test. This forced the BPSC to hold preliminary and main examination as well instead of the practice of holding only one test to select successful candidates.

“To fill up the vacant posts till 1998, the BPSC conducted preliminary tests in the mid-2000. By the time, the results were declared, Bihar was bifurcated. The mains examination was held in 2002. As a large number of students had taken the tests and the vacancies were for different districts, the BPSC announced the results in phases. The results started trickling in from July 2002. Results for all the districts, including those of Jharkhand, were announced by September, 2002,” a successful candidate from Ranchi said.

“Had Jharkhand not been separated, the BPSC would have sent the list of successful candidates to the deputy commissioners for their appiontment. But, the separation has cast a shadow on our prospects. We have been waiting for our appointment. Majority of the successful candidates is tribals. For 46 vacancies in Ranchi district, 39 candidates, who were in the fray were tribals and rest Scheduled Castes. All the 46 posts were reserved. In the same way, the majority of candidates, who cleared the tests were from the reserved category in accordance with the 1982 district-wise reservation policy of Bihar government,” he added.

Another successful candidate hailing from Gumla said: “We do not know who has played with our career— BPSC or the state Government. The BPSC had conducted an examination to clear the backlog for the vacant posts of secretariat assistants in unified Bihar. Altogether there were 46 posts. While Bihar has appointed two-third successful candidates, the remaining 15, who were to be appointed in Jharkhand are still running from pillar-to-post.”

We have issued newspaper advertisements to unite all the successful candidates so that we can file a case in the Supreme Court.” Jharkhand personnel secretary S.K. Choudhary said: “The BPSC has not sent the recommendations so far. We will see what to do when the recommendations come to us. However, it is not binding on us to accept the BPSC recommendations. It is like Uttar Pradesh sending candidates to us for appointment. We have already decided not to appoint anyone on the recommendation of any Bihar agency after November 15, 2000. There are so many legal implications. We cannot appoint all the candidates on emotional ground.”