Civil rights activists have condemned the Army authorities for not providing basic facilities for youths who came from distant places to attend the ongoing army recruitment in Puducherry.
“The authorities ought to have arranged sufficient number of lodging facilities to the aspirants. It is pathetic to see the youth who are hoping to guard the nation lying on the pavements near the beach and railway station”, said G. Sukumaran, Secretary of Federation for People’s Rights.
K.R. Mathew, activist of a political party and resident of Uppalam said, “Many residents here expressed shock after seeing the pathetic conditions of the candidates sleeping on the pavements near the Indira Gandhi Stadium which was the venue for recruitment. It has brought a shame to this tourist city.”
The candidates who arrived from various parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry expressed their anguish at having to rough it out on pavements and other spots, where even toilet facilities were unavailable.
“We really do not know the reasons why the authorities have failed to notice the sad situation prevailing for the last few days. This has left a blot on Puducherry’s reputation for humanitarian services,” Mr. Mathew said.
V. Rangarajan, Aam Aadmi Party convener, also condemned the authorities for not providing adequate facilities to the youths. He asked the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister to intervene immediately and take appropriate action and ensure such embarrassment to the city’s reputation does not recur.
