KHOTANG: Police have arrested four persons on the charge of attempting to foil the Public Service Commission (PSC) examinations. They were arrested from the examination centers this morning as examinees were attending the exam of fifth level position in civil service. Those arrested are Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) Khotang secretary Rabin Khambu, joint-secretary LB Magar, Khotang Dalit Development Forum Milan Chahar and Sabina Acchame.

Three men and one woman were arrested from the Diktel Multiple Campus for trying to foil the examinations, Chief District Officer Bishnu Hari Updhyaya said. They entered the examination hall, created commotion and also snatched the question paper and answer sheets, he added. It may be noted that the NEFIN has called for a banda or general strike in State no. 1 against what it argues as PSC vacancy announcement being against the norms of inclusive and proportional representation.

EFIN district chair Hattiram Rai also confirm that four members of his association were arrested by police. The banda has affected traffic, but the examinations are underway, police said. The local market has also been slightly affected by the call for a general strike. Meanwhile, the ruling Socialist Party Nepal’s Khotang chapter has also expressed solidarity with the banda announced for State no. 1 today against the PSC examinations.

The party has said that the constitutional mandate for State level Public Service Commission to recruit civil servants at the local level has been violated by the PSC vacancy announcement and the subsequent holding of examinations.