Odisha Civil Service exam won't be postponed due to flood, transport to be arranged: Minister

Bhubaneswar, Oct 30 (PTI): The Odisha Civil Service (OCS) main examination will not be postponed in view of the flood caused by heavy rainfall triggered by cyclone 'Arnab', rather, the state government would facilitate smooth transportation of candidates in affected areas, a minister said on Friday.

The Congress had demanded the postponement of the examination, scheduled from October 31 to November 7, in the southern districts in view of the impact of the cyclone.

Rejecting the demand, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said on Friday, "If the OCS examination conducted by the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) is postponed, at least six months' time will be needed to reconduct the test. The candidates who have already prepared for the exam will be disappointed."

"We found that 325 candidates from Ganjam district and nearly 100 candidates from Gajapati district are expected to appear for the test. So, we have asked all block development officers (BDOs) in the flood or rain-affected districts to ensure free movement of the candidates from home to exam centres and back," the minister said.

Meanwhile, opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) termed the decision as "unjust" and "inhumane".

Ipsita Sahu, president of the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal, the BJD's student wing, said the state government's decision to proceed with the OCS main examination at a time when hundreds of candidates are stranded due to floods is "unacceptable".

Due to flooding in the Rushikulya River in Ganjam district, large areas across Ganjam and Gajapati districts have become inundated, leaving hundreds of examination candidates, along with lakhs of other people, stranded, she said.

She urged the state government to take appropriate measures to address the situation.

Earlier, Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka urged OPSC to reschedule the examination for candidates allotted to the Jeypore centre in Koraput district in view of the disruptions caused by the cyclone. PTI BBM BBM ACD

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