A legal obstacle stands in the way of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's pledge to loosen regulations for women aspiring to be firefighters.

 

The matter has reached a legal roadblock three days after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann assured two women in the village of Bhankharpur that they would be hired as firefighters if he succeeded in changing the physical stamina requirements.

Although CM Mann has started the process of easing the physical fitness requirements for firefighter recruitment, these two hopefuls are facing a legal obstacle.

The legal obstacle stems from the fact that job advertisements for firemen included the requirement that female candidates pass a physical stamina test. Additionally, it was announced that men would be assigned to the positions if women did not comply. A government official stated, "If the regulations are modified now, male candidates may file a lawsuit and the state government may face a setback.

Chief Minister Mann has reportedly asked Advocate General Gurminder Singh Gerry for legal advice on how regulations should be loosened to allow for the recruitment of female candidates who took the recruitment exam but were disqualified from the in-person exam, given the legal obstacle that stands in their way.

According to Punjab's fireman recruitment regulations, a candidate must carry 60 kg of stones 100 yards in one minute in order to qualify as a firefighter. The CM was informed by two ladies, Deepika and Harpreet Kaur, who had visited with him on Tuesday, that although they had passed the test, it was "too hard" for them.During his speech at the event to launch the government's "Aap Di Sarkaar, Aap De Dwaar" campaign, Mann had pledged to hire them. He informed the two women that their written exam results would determine their recruitment.