Bihar police driver recruitment aspirants protest in Patna, seek filling of vacant women’s quota posts
Patna: Candidates of the Bihar Police driver recruitment drive intensified their protest in Patna on Friday, demanding that more than 1,200 posts earmarked for women, which they claim have remained vacant, be filled with eligible male candidates from the respective categories.
The candidates had planned to march towards the Chief Minister’s residence to press their demands. However, police personnel intervened before the proposed march could begin.
Barricades were erected at Gate No. 10, and a large number of security personnel were deployed inside Gandhi Maidan and the surrounding areas.
The protesters alleged they had obtained permission to hold a peaceful sit-in, organise a Kalash Yatra and take out a march, but the administration prevented them from proceeding with their planned programme.
According to the candidates, the protest was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. with a sit-in at Gandhi Maidan, followed by a Kalash Yatra and a march from Gate No. 10 to Dakbungalow Crossing.
The candidates said more than 1,200 posts reserved for women in the driver recruitment process had remained vacant. They urged the authorities to consider filling these vacancies with eligible male candidates from the respective categories in accordance with the applicable recruitment rules.
They say that this would prevent the posts from remaining unfilled and provide employment opportunities to other qualified applicants.
Radhe Shyam Kumar, one of the protesting candidates, said they had been staging a sit-in at Gardanibagh for several days. He described the difficulties of continuing the agitation, adding that his family had questioned why he was spending time protesting instead of studying.
He maintained that candidates needed to raise their voices to secure their rights. He reiterated the demand that posts remaining vacant after the allocation of seats to female candidates should be considered eligible for male applicants.
He also cited the recruitment process for Sub-Inspectors, arguing that a similar provision should be considered for the driver recruitment drive.
Despite the police barricades and the deployment of security personnel, candidates continued to gather near Gate No. 10 of Gandhi Maidan. The protesters maintained that they intended to put forward their demands peacefully.
