The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the selection process for 114 posts of 'safai karamcharis' (sweepers) in the municipality in Amroha to be put an hold. This because, after the municipality advertised for the posts, they received a staggering 19,000 applications, a majority of them from BA, BSc, MA, BTechs and MBAs, triggering protests from organisations representing sweepers, The Times of India reported. 

The organisations have demanded that the posts should be reserved only for Valmikis.

Faiz Alam, Amroha municipality superintendent, told TOI, "The process of uploading application forms or all 114 posts is still going on and we have uploaded 5,000 of the 19,000 received. Most are graduates, postgraduates, BTechs and even MBAs."

No educational qualification is required to apply for the post as the work involves manual labour including cleaning streets with brooms, maintaining drainage and municipal sewer lines and workers in this post get a salary of Rs 17,000 per month. 

Following protests by the Valmiki organisations, the UP government has put the process of selection on hold. 

"The Valmiki community has protested against the recruitments because a large number of graduates and postgraduates from other castes have applied. A delega tion of the Valmiki commu nity met the CM and deman ded that the jobs be reserved for them," Afsar Parvez, chairman of the civic body, told TOI.