14 recruitment papers leaked in Himachal, 65 arrested: CM Sukhvinder Sukhu in Assembly

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, September 20

Question papers of 14 recruitment tests conducted by the now-disbanded Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission (HPSSC) were leaked and 65 persons have been arrested so far, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said in the Vidhan Sabha today.

The issue echoed in the Assembly during the question hour as the CM accused the previous BJP regime of playing with the future of unemployed youth. He was replying to a question asked by Shahpur MLA Kewal Singh Pathania on the unemployment situation in the state and when the results of job exams not leaked would be declared.

“The BJP government failed to check irregularities at the HPSSC for five years. Question papers were sold, which deprived deserving candidates of jobs. Our government is committed to ensuring merit-based selections through a new recruitment body,” he said.

Sukhu said besides the paper leak cases, the recruitment for some other posts too was under scanner. “We have declared the results for 329 posts, and for another 300, it will be declared shortly,” he said. The CM said the new recruitment body would minimise human interference.

Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur hit out at the government for the delay in declaration of results. “All candidates and youth seeking jobs cannot be punished for the wrong act of one person,” he said. The former CM alleged the Congress government had not taken tough action against those involved in paper leak. “Had the scam come to notice during our rule, we would have ensured stringent action,” he said.

Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil said 39,779 persons were given government jobs over the past three years. Investigations in the paper leak cases regarding 13 categories of posts where written papers had been held and 20 categories where the final results were awaited were pending, he added.