The exhibition of non-professionalism on part of authorities in conducting written test for Fire and Emergency Services Department’s (FESD) firefighter, driver and other posts created mess and chaos during the morning rush hours in Srinagar city as hundreds of public and private vehicles got stranded due to the clashes that erupted between thousands of aspirants and policemen.Sources told CNS that FESD authorities had called 16,500 aspirants for written test at the Indoor Stadium Complex on Wednesday morning. However, according to reports at least 30, 000 aspirants appeared at a time and,“Due to shortage of space, it became extremely difficult for the authorities to adjust all the aspirants as a result there was chaos and confusion everywhere. Those aspirants who failed to occupy their seats raised clamor. The authorities called police to control the situation which infuriated the aspirants who alleged that some of the policemen thrashed aspirants without any provocation,” an aspirant from Bandipora Ajaz Ahmed Mir told CNS.
Eyewitnesses said that the presence of police provoked the aspirants and they resorted to stone-pelting. Inside the Indoor Complex some of the aspirants according to eyewitnesses were thrashed by policemen while some aspirants were seen running helter-skelter on the roads with torn clothes. They were chased by police after they pelted stones on them. The clashes between the police and aspirants on the roads brought traffic to halt as a result commuters were trapped for over an hour in the scorching heat.“I was trapped in the traffic mess near Bakshi Stadium for more than an hour. This was a nightmare for me and my little kids,” a commuter Khurshid Ahmed told CNS.
Holding FESD officials directly responsible for the mess, scores of aspirants said that it displayed unprofessionalism on part of officials and nothing else. “How can you accommodate 16,500 aspirants at a place that lacks facilities? It would have been better if these tests would have been conducted district wise,” said aspirants.Due to chaos and confusion, the scheduled test was not conducted and accordingly the authorities cancelled the same and said that aspirants would be intimated through a separate notification about the new date of the examination.When contacted Director General FESD, Ghulam Ahmed Bhat told CNS that some aspirants raised hue and cry when they were barred by authorities to appear for the test as they did not carried their call letters, pencils and sheets. He said that the venue witnessed huge rush because those aspirants who had not received call letters also arrived to take part in the test. He admitted that all but 30,000 aspirants arrived at the venue. “Some time things get out of control but fortunately, authorities managed the affairs well and things were quickly brought under control,” Bhat said. (CNS)