BPSC row: Patna DM briefs magistrate and Centre Superintendents for re-examination on January 4

Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh briefing the magistrate, police officer and centre superintendent at DM office on Thursday in Patna.
| Photo Credit: Amit Bhelari

Amidst the demand for a re-examination of 70th Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) following the alleged paper leak, Patna district administration has chalked out the plan for the re-exam to be held at 22 examination centre in state capital on January 4.

After the alleged irregularities on December 13, BPSC had announced that out of 912 centres, a re-examination would take place of only those aspirants who had taken the exam at Bapu Exam Centre where more than 12000 candidates were present. A total of 3.28 lakh candidates had appeared for the prelims exam.

Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh on Thursday held a joint briefing to magistrates, police officers and Centre Superintendents to conduct the re-examination organized by BPSC in a clean, malpractice-free and peaceful environment.

The district administration has deputed 24 static magistrates-cum-observers, 22 zonal magistrates and 7 Flying Squad teams. The officers were directed to maintain the highest level of vigilance and alertness and ensure strict compliance of the Commission’s guidelines.

The Patna DM said that any kind of disruption in the examination will not be tolerated. Anti-social elements will be dealt with strictly. He also added that on the day of the examination, any information can also be given to the control room (0612-2215354) (10:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.) functional at BPSC office, Patna and 24×7 District Control Room (0612-2219810 / 2219234).

He issued the instructions that under no circumstances crowds or anti-social elements should gather at the examination center and its premises.

Candidates will be allowed to enter the examination centre from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., but they will not be allowed to enter after 11:00 a.m. under any circumstances. The examination will last from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

During the exam, no candidate or invigilator will leave the room. Carrying electronic items like mobile phone, bluetooth, Wi-Fi gadget, electronic pen, pager, wrist watch is prohibited in the examination hall.

Last week, thousands of students took out a protest march in Patna and police dispersed them with lathi-charge in which several students were injured. Water cannons were also used to remove the crowd at J.P. Golambar near Hotel Maurya.

Meanwhile, Jan Suraj Party founder Prashant Kishor along with BPSC students sat on indefinite hunger strike unto death near Gandhi Statue in Gandhi Maidan in Patna protesting against the Nitish Kumar government over the issue of BPSC.

Mr. Kishor said he would continue to sit on the fast until the BPSC aspirants get justice. Jan Suraj Party placed 5 demands before the government including re-examination and action against police for lathi-charge.

Late evening, the Patna DM office issued a press statement saying, “As per the information received, Mr. Prashant Kishore of Jan Suraj Party along with his approximately 150 workers is staging a dharna near Gandhi statue in Gandhi Maidan, Patna with 5-point demands. As per the order of the Patna High Court, the district administration of Patna has identified a place in Gardanibagh for the dharna. Staging a dharna by Mr. Kishor at a prohibited and unauthorised place without permission is illegal. For this, an FIR has been lodged against him and a notice is being issued and he is being asked to shift the dharna programme to the designated place in Gardanibagh, otherwise, further legal action will be taken.”

On December 29, an FIR was lodged against Mr. Kishor and 21 others for provoking the students after the lathi-charge.

Mr. Kishor too reacted by saying that he was not sitting on dharna, but rather, he was on hunger strike.

Reacting to the BPSC issue, Janata Dal-(United) State President Umesh Singh Kushwaha said that BPSC candidates should avoid being misled by opposition leaders. He claimed that to fulfil their political interests, a handful of people are trying to play with the future of the students by spreading unnecessary confusion.

“The the opposition wants to defame the Nitish government by using BPSC candidates as a shield, but their intention will never succeed,”Mr .Kushwaha said.