NTS received 48,674 applications for USC posts: Ahsan

ISLAMABAD, Dec 22 (APP): Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Prof Ahsan Iqbal Thursday said the National Testing Service (NTS) had received total 48,674 applications in 2015-16 for various posts of BPS 7 to 16 in the Utility Stores Corporation (USC).
He said the NTC received the applications directly and in pursuance of the recruitment policy framed by the Establishment Division, conducted initial screening tests on 27th, 28th, 29th March 2015.
The NTS, he said, charged Rs 450 per candidate for BS-16 posts and Rs 400 for all others.
Ahsan said the initial screening test was qualified by 3,165 candidates against 633 posts of BS-7 to BS-16, who were to be interviewed subsequently.
However, he said, it was observed that most of the candidates, who had qualified the tests, were not having relevant experience / required length of experience for the post applied.
He said as per the directives of Ministry of Industries and Production, 1,430 vacant posts were re-advertised in October 2015 and initial screening tests were conducted on 1st, 2nd and 3rd January 2016.
However, the USC Board of Directors, he said, observed that in view of the weak financial health of the Corporation, no fresh recruitments could be made and unanimously resolved to scrap the hiring process.
Consequently, no interviews were conducted and further process of recruitment was stopped, he added.
Replying to another question, he said ‘Aik Hunar Aik Nagar’ (AHAN) was operating at national level for training and capacity building of artisans and crafts persons, mostly women. AHAN, he said, arranged skill training at field level at clusters/rural areas.
No training centers, he said, had been established on permanent basis to avoid maintenance cost and rather training centers were established for a planned training period of 2-6 months at the premises identified by local community.