Another job scam?

Even as the country is fast beginning to slip into election mode, a huge appointment scandal has hit the BJP-led government of Sarbananda Sonowal, this one allegedly occurring in the Panchayat & Rural Development department of Assam. While the P&RD department had on May 22, 2018, conducted written examination for filling up a large number of posts in its various offices across the state, there were allegations of large-scale irregularities including question paper leak and use of mobile phones by the candidates inside the examination halls and so on. While the government did not bother to take note of the allegations – visuals of such alleged irregularities were also aired by some local TV news channels – the department recently released the list of selected candidates for most of the centres, this despite a CID probe reportedly confirming the alleged malpractices. The list, it is alleged, has a number of candidates who are close relatives and family members of a few ministers of the Sonowal government as also of some powerful and influential members of the ruling party. While the finger of suspicion has been pointed at P&RD Minister Naba Kumar Doley, he has flatly denied the allegations. According to a clarification issued by the minister, the examinations were held in a transparent manner under the surveillance of CCTV cameras and supervision of executive magistrates. He has, however, admitted that there were some anomalies at the initial stage, and claimed that the results have been declared on the basis of an order passed by the Gauhati High Court. Also admitting that the CID was probing the allegations, the minister, however, dismissed charges that family members and relatives of the ruling party were appointed. If media reports are correct, then minister Doley has also asked whether it was a crime if relatives and family members of ruling party leaders got selected on the basis of merit. But Chief Minister Sonowal, who had even during the campaign for the 2016 Assam Assembly election promised a corruption-free government, has done the right thing by immediately announcing an inquiry into the alleged scandal and directed Additional Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna to conduct it and submit his report at the earliest. For the BJP and for Chief Minister Sonowal the P&RD appointment scandal has surfaced on the eve of the state going for the Lok Sabha election. The opposition is sure to make it an election issue. Debabrata Saikia, the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, has already written to the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court seeking a judicial inquiry into the anomalies that have taken place in the P&RD recruitment process. The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) too has demanded a judicial inquiry. The AASU has alleged that many meritorious candidates have not found their names while names of candidates close to ministers and influential leaders of the ruling party have found place in the selection list. It is sad that Chief Minister Sonowal, who had opened his innings with a massive crackdown on the scam-tainted Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) and had even sent its Chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul to jail, has failed to check the misdeeds allegedly committed in the P&RD department at the instance of one his closest ministers. If required, the minister should be dropped till the inquiry gets over.