PUDUCHERRY: Leader of the opposition R Siva has urged the government to recruit 226 staff nurses by conducting competitive examination and withdraw its decision to recruit based on academic marks and employment seniority, warning that the system could lead to large-scale corruption and nepotism.
In a statement, Siva said the AINRC–BJP government had ignored demands for filling over 10,000 vacancies in various departments for more than four years, and had now begun recruitment only in the election year “to gain public attention”.
He pointed out that Group-B and Group-C posts such as police constables, clerks, assistants, engineers, taluk officers and village assistants were previously filled through competitive examinations.
Even posts like ANM, pharmacist and operation theatre assistant in the health department were recruited through written tests, he said.
The government had recently constituted the Puducherry Selection Commission to ensure transparency in such recruitments, he added.
“Against this background, it is shocking that the government has now decided to fill 226 nursing posts purely on the basis of marks secured in Class 10, Class 12, nursing examination and seniority in employment exchange registration,” Siva said.
Alleging that the mark-based system could pave the way for “corruption and bribery”, Siva said government institutions like JIPMER and the Puducherry Government Nursing Schools are known to follow strict evaluation and award moderate marks, while many private nursing colleges give higher marks to their students.
“This will unfairly push meritorious students from government institutions down the selection list,” he alleged.
He further said selection based on seniority would also put fresh graduates with better skills at a disadvantage compared to those who have stayed away from the profession for years.
He questioned the rationale behind abandoning the exam-based selection method exclusively for nurses.
“When the Centre conducts NARSET twice a year for nursing admissions, why is the Puducherry government ignoring such transparent procedures?”
Demanding fairness and transparency, Siva insisted that the government conduct a direct written examination for nursing posts, as done for other categories.
He also called for strict enforcement of transfer guidelines in the Health Department.
