UP: Selected 6 Months Ago, Staff Nurse Candidates Still Await Appointment Letters

Lucknow: Candidates who have qualified for Staff Nurse in Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) Examination Grade II six months ago and still haven’t got joining letters held a protest in Prayagraj on Tuesday. Over 3,000 candidates were selected after two rounds of document verification six months ago.

Carrying placards and banners, the protesters gathered outside the UPPSC office in Prayagraj, demanding appointment letters at the earliest. They have threatened to start and indefinite dharna at the Commission’s office if they do not get appointment letters by the first week of August.

Last year, about 1.02 lakh candidates had applied for recruitment to 4,743 posts of Staff Nurse in Uttar Pradesh, of which 83,564 candidates had appeared for the written examination held on October 3, 2021. However, only 3,014 candidates could qualify for the exams. According to the protesting candidates, their document verification has been done twice in the Commission’s office. Six months have passed since the document verification, yet they said they have not been given appointment letters.

The protesting nursing aspirants said since most hospitals were still struggling with shortage of paramedical staff along with doctors, filling up the vacant posts of staff nurses would provide much-needed relief to patients. They said the Uttar Pradesh government seemed least bothered toward the health sector, as none of them have been provided appointment letters.

However, the candidates are undeterred. Many of them said had lost their jobs at government institutions, private hospitals in the hope of joining as government nurses. Apart from loss in income, they said they faced “ridicule”.

“Many, including my child, think I am lying about being selected for the job,” said Kavita, a selected candidate who travelled all the way from Gorakhpur for the protest. For a few, this has meant broken marriage alliances too," she told NewsClick.

Another protester, who requested anonymity, said: "Most of the selected candidates were working under the National Health Mission and a few of them were employed at private hospitals. All of them were asked to submit no objection certificates (NOC) during document verification. We all left our previous jobs as we were sure about our selection. But now we have nowhere to go. Despite two rounds of document verification in January, we have been running from pillar to post for appointment letters," she told NewsClick.

The protesting candidates also carried copies of the Indian Constitution with them. “We wish to give copies of the Constitution to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Governor Anandiben Patel. We want to convey the message that the selected candidates believe in the Indian Constitution. Asking about appointment letters after being selected is our right,” said another candidate.

The selected candidates had also staged a sit-in demonstration outside the commission office on February 12. Then the chairman of the commission had assured them that the recruitment process would be completed in March. On May 22, again dharna was held and a memorandum was submitted. The chairman of the commission once again assured them that the appointment letters would be given in June. They have been repeatedly assured that the selection process will be completed soon, but nothing has moved so far.

The protesting candidates said it was unfortunate that they had been left with no other choice but to come on the roads to seek "justice".

"We have tried everything and even met political leaders but to no avail. This is nothing short of mental torture we are going through," Kavita added.