Pune: The recruitment process for 113 Junior Engineer (Civil) posts in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), which saw 28,700 applications, remains stalled for over eight months.

The delay has left candidates waiting indefinitely for the examination schedule, as administrative and reservation-related issues prolong the process.

The recruitment process, initiated in March 2023 in collaboration with the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), encountered significant obstacles due to the following reasons:

• Maratha Reservation Inclusion: The state government’s directive to reserve 10% of government jobs for the Maratha community under the SEBC (Socially and Educationally Backward Class) category required the PMC to revise its vacancy allocation. The preparation of the reservation matrix is ongoing and is expected to take an additional month.

• Election Code of Conduct: The Lok Sabha and Assembly elections imposed restrictions on decision-making, further delaying the process.

• IBPS Contract Renewal: The agreement with IBPS, the agency responsible for conducting the examination, has expired and awaits renewal.

The reservation matrix, once finalized, will be sent to the government’s backward class committee for approval. Post-approval, candidates who initially applied under the open category will be allowed to switch to the Maratha reservation category if eligible. Only then can the online examination be scheduled.

Deputy Commissioner of General Administration, Pratibha Patil, confirmed that the process, including the contract renewal with IBPS, would likely conclude in 2025. “The recruitment process is moving forward steadily, and the exam will be conducted as soon as all procedures are completed,” she said.

Candidates, meanwhile, have expressed frustration over the prolonged uncertainty. “I applied for the Junior Engineer post, but there is no clarity on when the exam will be held. PMC should expedite the process to ensure timely recruitment,” one applicant urged.

PMC previously filled 748 posts in 2022 and 2023, including Junior Engineers, clerks, and firefighters. However, the recent jurisdictional expansion of PMC has increased its workload, intensifying the need for more engineers.

PMC officials emphasized the urgency of completing the recruitment process before municipal elections, which are anticipated in the coming months. Any further delay could push the process back indefinitely.