CM stresses on interviews for grades III, IV recruitment

SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has said there is a need to conduct personal interviews, besides written examinations, while recruiting grade III and grade IV employees.
Replying to a motion moved by Sohra MLA T. Chyne on the need to do away with personal interviews for selection of grades III and IV employees and preference to local youths for jobs in different districts, Sangma said the matter was examined after receiving a communication from the Centre.
“Our view is that it is necessary to hold personal interviews to assess the personality and aptitude of job aspirants,” Sangma said, adding that aptitude is important, along with communication skills, as government employees have to deal with the public.
Leader of Opposition Donkupar Roy, who participated in the motion, said unemployed youths are losing their trust in the present system of interview and the government should identify the posts which can be exempted from the purview of personal interviews.
Earlier while moving the motion, Chyne said grades III and IV posts are mostly for people with qualification till Class VIII and simple written examination is enough and interviews often give scope for manipulation, nepotism and favoritism.
To this, Sangma said district selection committees allot 10 per cent of the total marks for oral exam and all members of the interview board distribute marks among themselves so that interview marks cannot be manipulated.
Roy stressed on preference to local youths for grades III and IV jobs and suggested that at least one member of the family that gives free accommodation to a government office should be given a job in that particular office.
On preferring local youths, the chief minister said the government has to strike a balance between choosing the best people and giving preference to locals.
The chief minister said the government has mooted a fool-proof policy for recruitment along the lines of defence authorities who have made allocations in army for each of the northeastern states.
Stressing on the need to dispel the perception that people can get jobs by offering bribes, Sangma said any form of manipulation by interview boards to give preference to an individual during recruitment does not help anybody.
Chyne also felt that the examinations conducted by district selection committees and the Meghalaya Public Service Commission should be computerised.
Shillong West MLA Paul Lyngdoh said on several occasions, members of the interview boards are less qualified than the candidates undergoing recruitment and the system needs to be corrected.