Speaker’s son quits job after criticism

Tribune News Service 

Dehradun, April 9

Uttarakhand Speaker Prem Chand Agarwal’s son  resigned from the post of assistant engineer in Jal Sansthan through Uttarakhand Poorv Sainik Kalyan Nigam Limited (UPNL) on Monday.

The Speaker  had defended his son’s appointment,  saying he had no role to play in it.

Agarwal said a campaign had been launched against him. “I am surprised, several newspapers had carried  reports about my son’s appointment and in which my name has been dragged. They have resorted to insinuations without taking my viewpoint. I have been deeply hurt. My son is educated and has been looking for jobs. In his personal capacity, he applied for the job with which I have nothing to do,” he said. 

“My son tendered his resignation on Monday,” said Agarwal. 

Media reports stated that Agarwal’s son Piyush Agarwal had been appointed on a non-permanent post in 

Jal Sansthan, a state government organisation, through the UPNL. 

The matter became more controversial as the UPNL is an  outsourcing agency set up to ensure that 

only  ex-servicemen or their dependents are provided suitable jobs in government posts on non-permanent basis. 

The appointment was condemned by several  groups, including the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, that demanded an inquiry into the incident.

However, the Congress has so far remained mum on the issue, which too has been criticised by the UKD, a regional party. Significantly, during the Congress party’s rule in the state, reports of alleged illegal  appointments had emerged, where former Speaker and Congress leader Govind Singh Kunjwal was charged with appointing his relatives in the secretariat. In the opposition then, the BJP had raised the issue again and again to torment the  Harish Rawat government.