Hamirpur: The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to refund Rs 4.27 crore in application fees to more than 3.41 lakh candidates following the cancellation of recruitment across 80 categories initiated by the erstwhile Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission in 2022, an official said on Thursday.

The decision to cancel recruitment was taken earlier by the Commission, which has since been dissolved following allegations of paper leak in recruitment examinations. The body has now been replaced by the Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog.

"The state government has now decided to refund Rs 4.27 crore to 3,41,742 candidates," a spokesperson said.

In 2022, following advertisements of vacancies by the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission (HPSSC), a total of 3,41,742 candidates applied for 1,423 posts.

The state Cabinet has now approved the withdrawal of advertisements for these posts (across 80 post codes) and the refund of application fees to the affected candidates. Consequently, the possibility of appointments based on the old advertisements has been eliminated, the spokesperson said.

The recruitment process of the now-dissolved HPSSC involved written examinations using OMR sheets. The application fee was set at Rs 360 for the general category and Rs 120 for SC, ST, OBC, EWS IRDP, and differently-abled candidates. Female candidates and ex-servicemen were exempted from the fee.

The Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog now operates using a computer-based test (CBT) system. Accordingly, the application fee has now been increased to Rs 400 for the general category and Rs 325 for reserved categories.

"The records and recruitment procedures of the erstwhile commission do not align with the current online system. Consequently, it was not feasible to proceed with the old advertisements under the original terms and conditions," the official said, adding that the government has initiated fresh recruitment drives for certain categories and granted candidates a two-year relaxation in the maximum age limit.

Candidates are now demanding the early resumption of recruitment processes for hundreds of posts across various departments. While the cancellation of advertisements and the refund of fees have been approved, there is no clarity on when the recruitment process to fill these posts will actually begin.

In 2022, advertisements were issued to fill posts across various departments, including 467 junior basic training (JBT) posts in the Education Department, 162 operation theatre assistant posts in the Health Department, 28 police sub-inspector posts, 79 fireman posts in the Fire Department, 78 junior engineer posts in the Electricity Board, 42 junior office assistant posts in the Food and Civil Supplies Corporation, 37 junior auditor posts in the State Audit Department, 41 pharmacist posts in the AYUSH Department and 165 posts in the Technical Education Department.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.