‘Irregularities’ in upper-age limit set for recruitment in Police dept
SHILLONG, April 30: A group of youth on Tuesday threatened to approach the High Court of Meghalaya if the state government fails to rectify the irregularities in the upper-age limit set for recruitment in Meghalaya Police.
The group of youth, led by activist Barilang Pyngrope, submitted a memorandum to Home (Police) Secretary Cyril V Diengdoh.
Later, Pyngrope told reporters that if the government fails to rectify the irregularities, then they will have no other option but to move the court.
She said one of the major irregularities is the state government’s decision to change the upper-age limit without issuing any fresh notification.
According to her, the Home (Police) department secretary told them no notification has been issued so far.
“We are surprised how the government can reduce the upper-age limit without an official notification,” Pyngrope said.
She said they wanted the upper-age limit for recruitment in the police force to be based as per the Office Memorandum (OM) of 2022.
As per the OM of 2022, the government raised the upper-age limit from 27 years to 32 years for the open category and from 32 years to 37 years for the Schedule Tribes for recruitment in various government departments.
But the Police department in the advertisement issued on March 6 stated that the entire recruitment process will be conducted as per the Revised Uniform Guidelines for Recruitment of Police Personnel in Meghalaya Police issued on December 1, 2023.
As per the revised guidelines, the age limit fixed for the Unarmed Branch (UB) Sub Inspectors is 21 to 27 years as on January 1, 2024 while for the UB constables like driver constable, fireman, MPRO operator and so on, it is 18 to 21 years. The upper-age limit relaxation of five years can be availed by candidates belonging to ST/SC/OST.
In the memorandum submitted to Home (police) secretary, the group of youth aspiring to join the Police department said the upper-age limit for various posts in armed and unarmed branches have been set in clear violation of the OM of 2022, as evident in the advertisement issued by the Central Recruitment Board (CRB).
They observed that the upper-age limit for the posts, which were advertised, ought to be strictly in accordance with the OM on age relaxation.
According to the activist, even if it has been mentioned in the CRB advertisement that the entire recruitment process will be conducted as per the guidelines, the upper-age limit cannot be set as per the guidelines because of the legal operation of the OM on age relaxation.
“In case the upper-age limit for certain categories of posts like those appearing in the CRB advertisement were to be decreased, then the OM on age relaxation provides for such exceptions but it requires that such categories of posts are to be notified by the Personnel & AR (A) Department, and in our finding, there is no such notification till date,” the group wrote in the memorandum.
In order to place their grievances before the CRB, some of them had visited the office of CRB at Mawlai Mawroh on April 10 and 16 to meet the Principal, Police Training School (PTS)-cum-Member Secretary of the CRB.
According to the youth, they got an opportunity to highlight their grievances. But when they made an oral request for rectification of the upper-age limit in the CRB advertisement, they were told the request was being made in the wrong office.
They were advised to go to the right department.
“We followed the guidance and approached the office of the Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Home (Police) Department on April 16 where we were given an appointment on April 22. On the said date, a few of us went in person to meet the Secretary, who happens to hold both Home (Police) and Personnel & Administrative Reforms (A) departments, and once again, we got to air our grievances and reiterate our demand for a corrigendum,” the memorandum said.
The group of youth said the Secretary informed them that a notification by the Personnel department for exempting the categories of posts from the OM on age relaxation was still under process, and that, if anyone had any grievance with the recruitment process, he or she should give it in writing.
“In view of the facts and circumstances presented in the paragraphs above, we are appending our signatures to this joint representation on irregularity in upper-age limit set for recruitment to vacancies in Meghalaya Police, with the demand that a corrigendum be issued by competent authority to rectify the upper-age limit in the CRB advertisement, and that the last date for receiving applications from candidates be extended for those who could not apply earlier due to being viewed over-age by the impugned advertisement,” the memorandum further said.
Altogether 2,968 vacancies in the police force will be filled up. The posts include 76 (UB Sub Inspector), 720 (Unarmed Branch Constable), 195 (Fireman), 53 (Driver Fireman), 26 (Mechanic), 205 (MPRO operator) 56 (Signal/BN operator), 1,494 (Armed Branch constables/battalion constables/MPRO GD/ constable handyman) and 143 (Driver constable).