A huge crowd of Army aspirants from several states was seen camping in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh for the Territorial Army recruitment. They alleged that there was not enough accommodation, lack of food or transportation for them to reach the spot, claims which were denied by the district administration.
According to preliminary information, 18,000 people reached Pithoragarh for 133 posts of Territorial Army recruitment. Police had to resort to lathi-charge due to the massive crowd.
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WHY THERE WAS SO MUCH CROWD?
It is being said that the Territorial Army recruitment of Uttar Pradesh, which was to be held in Bihar’s Danapur, was postponed. Due to this, a large number of young men from Uttar Pradesh started arriving in Pithoragarh.
The Army administration issued a letter saying that a recruitment rally would be held in Danapur from November 26 to December 1. The letter stated that candidates from Uttar Pradesh could also participate in the recruitment drive.
BARGING INTO BUSES, PAYING EXORBITANT TAXI RATES
A video showed some young men sleeping on roads and footpaths as they spent the entire night after complaining of a lack of enough accommodation for them. The Army aspirants claimed they had to pay exorbitant fares, as high as Rs 10,000, to travel to Pithoragarh from several places.
Footage also showed several young men getting inside a Uttarakhand Roadways bus, with one of them barging into the vehicle through a window. Some of them were also spotted cramped in the bus’s boot space due to lack of space inside the vehicle.
“The taxi operators were demanding Rs 10,000 for 10 passengers. There were only four Uttarakhand Roadways buses. There were clashes. We were forced to come in taxis from Tanakpur and Haldwani as we had no other options. The district administration did not make any arrangements,” Tushar Saini, an Army aspirant, claimed.
Another Army aspirant, Aayush Bharadwaj, voiced similar sentiments and alleged that there was no place to spend the night and no arrangements for food and other necessities.
ADMINISTRATION SAYS ENOUGH ARRANGEMENTS MADE
Pithoragarh District Magistrate Vinod Giri Goswami clarified that langar (community kitchen) and adequate transportation were arranged to ferry the Army aspirants to Pithoragarh from other places in Uttarakhand.
“Arrangements were made for the stay of these young men in 30 schools in Pithoragarh. Langars were set up at 18 places where free food was being distributed to the candidates. More than 100 Uttarakhand Roadway buses along with around 250 taxis have been deployed to bring in and drop the candidates from the plains,” he said.
Schools in Pithoragarh have been closed from November 20-22 due to the recruitment drive.
Goswami said that 10,000 to 12,000 Army aspirants were estimated to arrive in Uttarakhand on November 22 and 23 and suitable action was being taken in connection with the unprecedented crowding in Pithoragarh.
“We have also hired 55 school buses to cater to the expected demand. Proper arrangements have been made on November 22 and 23 when the recruitment process will take place. We have initiated necessary action in connection with the unmanaged crowding,” the official said.
The Territorial Army is a part of the Indian Army, where aspirants can get the opportunity to work in part-time military service. For its recruitment, there is a physical test, a written exam and document verification followed by a medical test.
(with inputs from Rakesh Pant.)
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