IAS Deepti Umashankar HSSC chief

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 19

The Haryana Government on Saturday appointed IAS officer Deepti Umashankar as Chairperson of the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC). The 1993 batch officer is at present posted as Principal Secretary in the Sainik and Ardh Sainik Welfare Department.

The orders issued by the Chief Secretary DS Dhesi on Saturday stated that she would hold the position in addition to her present duties. The appointment comes in the wake of the suspension of former Chairman of the Commission Bharat Bhushan Bharti following an uproar over a controversial question asked in written test for recruitment of the junior engineers by the HSSC.

Sources said Deepti Umashankar was likely to hold the position till the suspension period of Bharti.

The government had suspended the services of Bharti with immediate effect on Friday till the completion of the inquiry, which would be conducted by Justice (retd) Darshan Singh of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu’s angry letter to Bharti proved the last straw as a day later, Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma announced his suspension till an inquiry was completed. The minister had also announced the registration of an FIR against the paper setter.