Former UKSSC chief, who earlier headed Uttarakhand forest department held with two other officers in VDPO recruitment scandal
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Former UKSSC chief, who earlier headed Uttarakhand forest department held with two other officers in VDPO recruitment scandal
S.M.A.KAZMI
Dehradun, Oct 8
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami embattled with scores of corruption and favouritism scandals allegedly involving ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and ministers, in a bold action ordered the arrest of three top ranking officials involved in a recruitment scandal for the posts of ‘Village Development and Panchayat Officers’ held by the Uttarakhand State Subordinate Service Commission in the year 2016. The three officials who have been arrested are R.B.S. Rawat,a former chairman of the commission, former secretary Manohar Kanyal and former examination controller R.S. Pokhriya.
Investigations in the matter were underway since 2016 when the scandal surfaced but no action was taken during the previous BJP regime led by Trivendra Singh Rawat. The written examination for filing up the vacancies of Village Development and Panchayat officers was held on March 6, 2016 at 236 examinations centres in all the 13 districts of the state in which 87196 people appeared. The result of the said written examination was declared on March 30, 2016 amidst allegations of favouritism. The state government started an inquiry a committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary in 2017.
The Special Task Force (STF) was given the charge to look into the issue after the paper leak scandal UKSSSC involving BJP leader of Uttarkashi district Hakam Singh came to light two months ago. Already 41 persons have been arrested in these scandals. The Chief Minister has also ordered probe into the Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) recruitment scandal which took place during the Congress regime (2012-2017).
However, the STF had been collecting evidences in the Village Development and Panchatat Officers Examination scandal and on the basis of these evidences arrested these three officers today. Dr. R.B.S. Rawat also headed the Forest department of the state. Later he was appointed as Chairman of the UKSSSC. Manohar lal kanyal is presently joint secretary in the state secretariat. These three arrested officers were produced before the court. he was also a advisor to the former BJP Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.
