VMC claims 29 from city also got jobs

Vadodara: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) attempted to put to rest the controversy of only persons from outside the city being selected for the post of junior clerks in a recruitment drive conducted in 2016. It claimed that aspirants from the city were also given appointments and a majority are them are still in service.
The VMC was drawing flak since the last couple of days after the opposition alleged on Monday that not a single person from the city was selected in the recruitment drive wherein 143 junior clerks were appointed for a period of five years. These clerks were to be given regular appointments after successful completion of the five-year term.

VMC officials said that 29 persons from the city were selected after the drive and were given orders. Out of these, 12 persons either did not take up the job or quit subsequently. The other 17 are still working with the civic body. Sources said that the highest number of persons to be appointed were from Ahmedabad from where 49 were selected.

The VMC had advertised the post on October 6, 2015 and the entrance test was conducted on June 9, 2016. As many as 48,545 persons had applied for the 143 openings. Out of these 38,546 were found eligible and 16,730 eventually appeared for the exam while the others remained absent.

The entrance test was conducted across 82 centres in the city and the results were declared in July 2016. Those who were selected were given appointment orders in August in the same year.

Sources said that the merit list prepared for the exams was valid for a period of two years. Over a period of time 285 appointments were made using the merit list including the first lot of 143 persons.

Of these, 129 are still working with the civic body while 156 either did not join or have quit over a period of time. A report regarding these facts will be submitted formally to the VMC commissioner.