Alwar/Jaipur, Aug. 13 -- Rajasthan forest minister Sanjay Sharma on Wednesday sat on a dharna at the Alwar Municipal Corporation alongside sanitation workers, openly questioning administration under his own government over the delay in issuing appointment letters. The protest, which lasted around five hours, ended after officials reached the site with five appointment letters and assured that the remaining eligible candidates would receive theirs on August 16. Sharma during the protest expressed strong displeasure over the handling of the sanitation workers' case and questioned the role of District Collector Artika Shukla and Municipal Commissioner Naruka. "When the government has already issued orders, what is the obstacle in issuing appointment letters to the employees?" Sharma asked while sitting on the dharna. According to the minister, the dispute dates back to sanitation worker recruitment conducted in 2012, when 329 candidates were not issued appointment letters. The candidates subsequently approached the Rajasthan high court and secured a decision in their favour. "Despite this, they continued making rounds of the Directorate of Local Bodies and the Municipal Corporation, but their grievances were not addressed," he said. Sharma alleged that the collector and commissioner continued to give conflicting figures, first identifying 100 candidates as eligible, then 82 and finally 69. "Even after the union agreed to the appointment of 69 candidates, no action was taken". The confrontation had intensified on Tuesday when a large number of sanitation workers reached the Municipal Corporation demanding appointment letters. The municipal commissioner was then transferred. On Wednesday morning, the workers approached Sharma at his residence and apprised him of their grievances. He joined them and began the dharna. However, ADM Yogesh Dagur and municipal commissioner Sohan Singh Naruka reached the site and met Sharma with five appointment letters. The minister handed them over to representatives of the workers, following which the dharna was called off. The remaining candidates will be issued letters on August 16 at an event to be attended by home minister Amit Shah. Former CM Ashok Gehlot targeted the BJP government over Sharma's protest, saying: "When even a cabinet minister is helpless before the system, who will listen to the grievances of poor sanitation workers and the general public?" However, the minister blamed the previous Congress government for the delay. "In 2019, the court ruled in favour of the sanitation workers. At that time, the Congress was in power and Ashok Gehlot was the chief minister. The government did nothing in the matter for four years and kept the appointment process pending," he said, adding, chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma had taken the sanitation workers' demands seriously....