Guwahati, June 24: Asam Sahitya Sabha today said the members of Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) should work to earn people's confidence.
The Sabha's appeal has come at a time a controversy has broken out regarding the commission after chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal asked it to take some measures to bring reforms in its examination process.
Sonowal on June 9 had asked the commission to take some reformative measures which included announcing the results within three hours of holding viva-voce tests, keeping a video record of interviews and evaluating answer scripts in one place. On June 20, APSC chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul told the media that the chief minister can only suggest them but cannot ask as the commission was an autonomous body.
Paul, however, later changed his stand saying he was ready to work as Sonowal had asked them to do so but insisted on their inability to publish results within three hours of holding viva-voice tests.
The Sabha said the controversy was "unfortunate" for the state.
"APSC's refusal to heed chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal's advice, as published in the media, is very unfortunate for the state," said Paramananda Rajbongshi, general secretary of the Sabha.
Rajbongshi said the Sabha had submitted a memorandum to the Assam government and the APSC to change the language policy of the commission.
"The Sabha had even prepared courses according to the request of the commission in this regard. The commission never implemented our suggestions. Rather, it continued to select people for its various senior administrative posts who do not have a command over their mother tongue or the state language," Rajbongshi said.