Haryana seeks President’s approval to prosecute HPSC ex-officials

Tribune News Service

Geetanjali Gayatri

Chandigarh, January 13

After granting prosecution sanction against the then Secretary of the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) in cases related to alleged irregularities in recruitment made during the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) regime in 2001 and 2004, the Haryana Government is learnt to have forwarded the names of the then Chairmen and members to the President for approval.

The commission, after seeking legal opinion, has to take a final call on granting sanction in the case of examiners involved in the checking of examination papers.

The State Vigilance Bureau (SVB) had sought prosecution sanction after submitting its report to the Haryana Government in September last year.

The report had pointed out “gross manipulations” in the appointments against the posts advertised for the Haryana Civil Services (HCS) and Allied Services and professors (college cadre).

Maintaining that the entire HCS and Allied Services examination process of 2001 and 2004 was “vitiated”, the report maintained that the selections were “illegal and arbitrary”.

The State Vigilance Bureau has also recommended the prosecution of the examiners involved in paper-checking after finding “sufficient evidence” against them.

Sources said the case for the prosecution sanction of the HPSC chairmen and members goes right up to the President for approval. According to information available, these names had been sent for approval in December last.

Sources added that the case of granting sanction was being deliberated by the HPSC, which had taken legal opinion in the matter. However, it was yet to conclusively decide since some of the examiners had retired since then.

The then HPSC Secretary has moved court with regard to the sanction granted against him by the government.

The State Vigilance Bureau had sought prosecution sanction against seven persons, including the then HPSC Chairman, the members and the then Secretary in the 2001 batch selection case.

Again, in the 2004 selection case, it has sought the sanction to prosecute seven persons, including the commission members and its Secretary, while the names of the then Chairman and one member have been dropped as they were no longer alive.

SVB finds ‘gross manipulations’

The State Vigilance Bureau had sought prosecution sanction after submitting its report to the Haryana Government in September last year. The report had pointed out 'gross manipulations' in the appointments against the posts advertised for Haryana Civil Services (HCS) and Allied Services and professors (college cadre)

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