Agartala, Aug 29: Tension prevailed in the city on Saturday after police detained a group of TET-qualified job seekers near Town Hall shortly before they were scheduled to take out a protest march demanding recruitment and employment opportunities.

The candidates had announced plans to march towards and lay siege to the Chief Minister’s residence to draw attention to their long-pending demand for recruitment. However, police intercepted the group before the proposed agitation could begin and took the candidates to a police station.

The detained job seekers expressed strong resentment over the police action, saying they had been waiting for recruitment for several years despite clearing the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and meeting the required qualifications.

The candidates alleged that they had repeatedly approached the authorities and received assurances regarding recruitment, but no permanent solution had been implemented so far. They said the prolonged delay had created uncertainty among hundreds of qualified aspirants who were awaiting an opportunity to secure employment.

The protesters maintained that their proposed demonstration was intended to draw the government’s attention to their grievances and was not aimed at creating law and order problems.

“We only want the recruitment process to be expedited and employment opportunities provided to eligible candidates,” one of the protesters said.

The police detention further fuelled resentment among the job seekers, who questioned why they were prevented from peacefully raising their demands. They said they would continue their agitation until the government provides a clear and concrete response on the recruitment process.

The issue of recruitment of TET-qualified candidates has emerged as a recurring point of contention in Tripura, with aspirants organising several protests in different parts of the state in recent months.

The candidates have argued that the availability of a large pool of TET-qualified aspirants, coupled with the need to fill vacancies in schools, makes the recruitment issue particularly urgent. They have urged the government to initiate the recruitment process without further delay and announce a definite timeline.

Meanwhile, the detained candidates reiterated their resolve to pursue their demand through continued democratic protests and representations to the authorities.

They said a clear recruitment schedule and concrete government action would be necessary to bring an end to their prolonged uncertainty and resolve the ongoing agitation.