Surjewala seeks CBI probe into police recruitment

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 28

Randeep Singh Surjewala, All-India Congress Committee Communications in charge, today demanded a CBI inquiry into the “large-scale bungling in police recruitment” and appointment of the Additional Managing Director, HARTRON.

Addressing a press conference here today, Surjewala, also an MLA from Kaithal, alleged the government, contrary to its promise of creating jobs in the state, had taken away nearly 30,000 jobs in its two-year rule.

“The government is doing nothing to create jobs in the state as the number of unemployed youths continues to rise. As many as 9,700 duly selected JBT teachers have been on the streets seeking appointment letters, nearly 3,500 TGT guest teachers’ services have been terminated, as many as 12,000 guest teachers are under the threat of being shunted out, services of temporary staff in the Power Department has been terminated and services of 1,700 auctioneers in grain markets have been done away with,” he claimed.

Maintaining the government was recklessly terminating services of temporary staff without making a case for permanent appointments, Surjewala said the alleged bungling in the police recruitment made it clear that the inexperienced BJP government’s “credibility and neutrality” was under a cloud.

“The entire process was flawed right from the word go. Instead of checking candidates for physical measurements first and then proceeding with physical and written tests for those who fit the bill, the government proceeded the other way round,” Surjewala said, claiming he personally visited Kurukshetra during the police recruitment drive.

Questioning the timing of the drive in which candidates were made to run 5000 m when humidity and heat were at peak from mid-June to mid-July, he claimed devices meant for recording the race and timing were not working and there was no place for the candidates to stay, eat or sleep.

“Candidates will sit in the queue at 10 pm and their turn would come in the afternoon the next day. It is impossible to not leave your place for a minute for such long hours. If the staff selection commission claims it was for checking their stamina, let the chairman stand for this long without leaving his place for the said duration and then run even 500m and I will give him a medal,” Surjewala maintained, stating the drive had put a big question mark on the Khattar government, the commission and the police top brass.

He demanded a thorough investigation into the easy availability of drug at the recruitment venue under the nose of the government and sought making public the names of all such organised gangs.

He questioned the appointment of Hyderabad-based Dhammapal Chawhan as Additional MD, HARTRON, and said it was in negation of all norms and rules of public appointment. “His appointment should be scraped since the appointment exercise was a sham,” the MLA claimed.