Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Civil Service main examination will not be postponed because of the flood caused by heavy rainfall triggered by cyclone 'Arnab', and the state government will arrange transport for candidates in affected areas, a minister said.

The Congress had demanded the postponement of the examination, scheduled from October 31 to November 7, in the southern districts in view of the impact of the cyclone.

Rejecting the demand, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Friday said, "If the OCS examination conducted by the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) is postponed, at least six months will be needed to reconduct the test. The candidates who have already prepared for the exam will be disappointed."

"We found that 325 candidates from Ganjam district and nearly 100 candidates from Gajapati are expected to appear for the test. So, we have asked all block development officers (BDOs) in the flood- or rain-affected districts to ensure free movement of the candidates from home to exam centres and back," the minister said.

Meanwhile, opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) termed the decision as "unjust" and "inhumane".

Biju Chhatra Janata Dal president Ipsita Sahu said the state government's decision to proceed with the OCS main examination at a time when hundreds of candidates are stranded due to floods is "unacceptable".

Due to flooding in the Rushikulya River in Ganjam district, large areas across Ganjam and Gajapati districts have become inundated, leaving hundreds of candidates, along with lakhs of other people, stranded, she said.

She urged the state government to take appropriate measures to address the situation.

Earlier, Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka urged OPSC to reschedule the examination for candidates allotted to the Jeypore centre in Koraput district in view of the disruptions caused by the cyclone.

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