BackWhen Ajit Pawar used Tirath Singh Rawat resignation to explain the severity of Covid
The 24-year-old Maharashtra government job aspirant allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his house in Pune's Hadapsar area on June 30, police earlier said
PremiumThe two-day monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly got off to a stormy start today with Leader of the Opposition Devendra Fadnavis targeting the state government over an MPSC aspirant's suicide
Later, Fadnavis moved an adjournment notice, asking for a debate on the functioning of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission in the wake of the suicide of Pune-based MPSC aspirant Swapnil Lonkar.
"Due to COVID, several functionaries are affected, same is with MPSC exams. Due to pandemic, Election Commission couldn't hold a by-election and a Chief Minister had to leave his office. Still, I'd say that Swapnil (an MPSC aspirant who died by suicide) shouldn't have taken such extreme step," said Maharashtra Deputy Chief MinisterAjit Pawar,as quoted by news agency ANI.
He further said,"We discussed this in cabinet meeting yesterday. We will meet GAD (General Admn Dept) today and we'll take immediate steps. We'll also look into aspects of helping Swapnil Lonkar's family. We'll try to make such atmosphere that no Swapnil will be forced to take such step."
The 24-year-old Maharashtra government job aspirant allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his house in Pune's Hadapsar area on June 30, police earlier said. Lonkar, a civil engineering diploma holder, had cleared the 2019 MPSC preliminary and main exams and was waiting for the final interview to take place. He had also cleared the 2020 preliminary exam as well. He left behind a suicide note in which he termed the MPSC exams as a "mayajaal" and appealed not to get into it.
The BJP leader further said the vacancies of information commissioner, Lokayukta and members of the MPSC have not been filled.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, however, said the MPSC issue was discussed in detail and the government has taken it very seriously. "The vacant posts will be filled by July 31, 2021. The MPSC exam was held in 2019 in which Swapnil Lonkar appeared and cleared in July 2020. He was among the 3,671 eligible candidates who cleared the exam for 1,200 posts. On September 9, 2020, the Supreme Court ordered an interim stay on the SEBC quota, after which the interview process was stopped by the MPSC, which is an autonomous body," he said.
Pawar said the apex court gave its final verdict on the SEBC (Socially and Economically Backward Classes) quota on May 5, 2021. The MPSC cancelled examinations and the government had questioned its chairman about the decision, but the commission informed that the exams were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
Pawar said the government was initiating a process to fill the MPSC vacancies by July 31 this year. "We stand by the Lonkar family and will take steps for giving financial aid (to his kin)," he said.
*With inputs from agencies
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