MUMBAI: An examination to recruit talathis (revenue department employees) in Maharashtra scheduled on Monday was delayed due to technical reasons, prompting the opposition Congress to criticise the state government over it.

Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly Vijay Wadettiwar said such "irresponsible behaviour" of the state government cannot be tolerated.

The Congress leader further said the state government would be responsible if a candidate gets frustrated and takes an extreme step.

A statement issued by the TCS, which is responsible for conducting the exam, said, "As per the technical team, there was a central hardware issue which has impacted the exam start time in all the exam centres for Talathi recruitment exam 2023 today."

Wadettiwar later said the state government should have opened examination centres in every district.

Instead, it set up only four centres, forcing aspirants to travel long distances to appear for the exam.

"The candidates, who took so much effort and spent sleepless nights and arrived in cities where the exam centres are located, today morning found their exam was on hold," he said.

"Such irresponsible behaviour of the state government cannot be tolerated. If a candidate gets frustrated and ends his or her life, the state government will be responsible for it. The government has not even made any alternate provision for conducting the exam," the Congress leader claimed.

Wadettiwar further said the state government has charged Rs 1,000 per candidate as exam fee.

"What will happen to them (candidates) now. If the government decides to hold the talathi recruitment exam on some other day, it should not charge the exam fee again," he said.