Cuttack, Oct. 12: Nearly 1,000 candidates, who had applied for the posts of jail warders, today blocked traffic on the national highway between Cuttack and Paradip in protest against the last-minute cancellation of physical test for the prospective recruits.

The agitators squatted on the road for nearly 45 minutes as there was no official at the venue of the selection — OSAP 6th battalion’s grounds — to give them any information. Senior police officials rushed to the spot and cleared the traffic after hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the road.

Official sources said the examinations for jail warders were to be conducted in five places — Cuttack, Sambalpur, Koraput, Berhampur and Baripada. But, physical tests in Cuttack and Sambalpur were cancelled owing to lack of adequate officials to hold the tests. Besides, it is said that the grounds in Sambalpur and Cuttack are wet because of rain in the past few days.

Another notification giving fresh dates will be announced, said an official.The examination at Berhampur circle is over. In Koraput, the examination will be held on November 1.

“No official was present at the site to give us any information about the cancellation of the examination today,” said Satya Swain, an aspirant from Jagatsinghpur.

Swain said the examination for recruitment of jail warder was scheduled to be held from October 12 to 20.

The examination is being conducted for 107 posts, including 23 for women. It was to be held on the OSAP 6th battalion premises for candidates from Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Angul and Dhenkanal districts.

“We have been in Cuttack since yesterday, but did not know that the exam has been postponed. We also do not know the next date of the exam,” said Saraswati Muduli, an aspirant from Kendrapara.