No headway over irregularities in recruitment

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 19

The committee constituted to probe irregularities in the recruitment of data entry operators and under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan today held its fourth meeting at the MCB office but officials failed to present full record.

The probe panel members said from now onwards, after every two days, the meeting would be held and all facts would be presented in front of the public.

Members also gave an ultimatum to the officials to present all record before the panel in the next meeting and if officials failed to do so, it would be taken as contempt and written complaint would be filed.

Committee member and councillor Jasbir Singh Jassa said, “There was any scam in the recruitment or not, will come out after the probe is completed. We want transparency in front of everyone.”

An MCB official claimed that the recruitment proposal was cleared after the approval of the state government and scrutiny of the papers by panel of officials and hence there was no question of scam in recruitment.

Councillors said they had seen record of 262 officials, of which record of 16 official staff was under scanner.

They have issued directions to present separate files of these suspected officials.

Members also told officials that files, which were presented to them, have all documents but they were not arranged in sequence.

Probe panel member Nirmal Kaur said officers were deliberately not giving the complete record as it was sought on April 20.

Councillor Anjana Rani said, “In the last meeting, we told finance and audit deputy controller Lakbir Trikha to provide full record. He had gone to Chandigarh for some meeting, but the record could have been prepared in advance.”

The full committee meeting with the officials would be held on May 26.

Ultimatum to officials

• The probe panel members said from now onwards, after every two days, the meeting would be held and all facts would be presented in front of the public. 
• Members also gave an ultimatum to the officials to present all record before the panel in the next meeting and if officials failed to do so, it would be taken as contempt and written complaint would be filed. 
• An MCB official claimed that the recruitment proposal was cleared after the approval of the state government and scrutiny of the papers by panel of officials and hence there was no question of scam in recruitment. 
• Councillors said they had seen record of 262 officials, of which record of 16 official staff was under scanner. 
• Probe panel member Nirmal Kaur said officers were deliberately not giving the complete record as it was sought on April 20.