KHAIRPUR, June 3: A large number of candidates who had come from different villages and towns of the district to appear in a written test for jobs in the health department staged protest on Sunday after they were told that the test had been cancelled.

The protesters, who reached the designated test centres at the Naz High School and the Comprehensive High School only to be informed that it had been cancelled, raised slogans against the administration and said that the test was earlier scheduled for May 17 but was cancelled and rescheduled for June 3.

The test was to be held for 120 vacant posts in the health department including posts for malaria supervisor, some technical posts, sweepers and a post for store-keeper. More than 8,000 candidates had applied for jobs.

Even candidates having graduate and postgraduate degrees had applied for the post of malaria supervisor which required minimum qualification of matriculate and nearly 1000 candidates had applied for a vacant post for store-keeper.

When the scribe tried to contact the EDO on his cellphone he was told that the official was taking rest.

Former district nazim Nafisa Shah has condemned the cancellation of test and said that the test have been cancelled for the fifth time over last one year.