Hand over recruitment scam probe to CBI: Ex-IAS officer tells Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 17

Former IAS officer Roshan Lal has written to Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal to hand over the investigation into the alleged recruitment scam at Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC) to the CBI.

289 applications received

• HSWC had advertised 10 posts of Manager Grade-I, four posts of Manager Grade-II, two posts of Assistant Manager (Quality Control) and 15 posts of Technical Assistant.
• 289 applications were received in 2009.
• A screening committee found only 44 candidates eligible.
• Six were selected for Manager Grade-I. Out of them, four joined. The appointments were issued in February 2010.

Will cooperate in probe

I will cooperate with the investigation agencies. My request is that both the FIRs, one against Ashok Khemka and another against me, should be referred to the CBI. — Sanjiv Verma, MD HSWC

In a letter, dated May 12, whose copy is also marked to Principal Secretary to CM and Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture, he has alleged that IAS Ashok Khemka is trying to shift the blame for recruiting ineligible candidates on the then Executive Committee (EC) /Interviewing Committee whereas it was his responsibility to check eligibility as the then MD HSWC.

Lal was part of the Executive Committee as Financial Commissioner, Agriculture, at the time of making the recruitments in 2010 and has alleged that Khemka cheated them by presenting ineligible candidates before them for the interview.

HSWC had advertised 10 posts of Manager Grade-I, four posts of Manager Grade-II, two posts of Assistant Manager (Quality Control) and 15 posts of Technical Assistant against which 289 applications were received in 2009.

However, a screening committee found only 44 candidates eligible.

The Executive Committee comprising Lal, Khemka, then Director Agriculture Ashok Yadav, IRS Kusum Bansal, representing Finance Department, and SS Sood, representing the Central Warehousing Corporation, interviewed the candidates on January 30, 2010.

Six were selected for Manager Grade-I. Out of them, four joined. The appointments were issued in February 2010.

Now, as per present HSWC MD Sanjiv Verma’s complaint, which is converted into FIR No 170 at Sector 5 police station of Panchkula, the appointments to Manager Grade-I were not made as per the roster as only two candidates belonging to general category, two from ESM-G and one each from BC-A and BC-B were selected. It is also claimed that in case, only six appointments were to be made, the same were to be made as per the roster points which were meant for general category, SC category, and BC-A category only.

Two selected candidates, Pradip Kumar Gupta and Surinder Singh, who joined as Manager Grade-I, were found ineligible on the ground of not possessing the required experience. They had retired from the Indian Air Force.

Verma removed them on April 20. Their appointments were not as per the roster and also they didn’t have the domicile of the state.

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#ashok khemka #sanjeev kaushal