Three women employees of the Jorhat Institute of Science and Technology (JIST) in Assam have been dismissed from service on Monday due to alleged irregularities in their appointments.
According to sources, an order to this effect was signed by Atul Bora, Director of State Technical Education.
The three women employees, two of whom were holding clerical positions and one supervisor f exams in the institute, are Ajanta Dutta, Bidyarthi Borah and Nabanita Borthakur.
Ajanta Dutta happens to be the wife of Maths professor Chandra Chutia. Bidyarthi Borah is the daughter of a contractor associated with the Institute.
Meanwhile, JIST Principal – Bibeka Nanda Choudhury could not be contacted despite several phone calls and messages.
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The Kakajan regional unit of All Assam Students Union had highlighted several alleged irregularities in JIST in 2017, including the appointments, which were done on a contractual basis without advertisement.
Sankalpa Gogoi, president of AASU’s Kakajan regional unit said that the students’ body had submitted a memorandum in this regard to then Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, then Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Teok MLA Renupoma Rajkhowa and then Jorhat deputy commissioner Virendra Mittal, demanding a high-level probe into the matter in June 2017 had ordered the JIST Principal to cancel the appointments and follow procedures in appointments and in awarding work to contractors.
JIST Principal then had reportedly stated that he would cancel the appointments after holding the exams in 2017. However, nothing had been done since then.
“We are happy today that the appointments have been cancelled. However, there are still many anomalies yet to be settled,” AASU’s Sankalpa Gogoi said.