KPSC Veterinary Officer recruitment under scanner as corruption allegations surface
Amidst allegations of nepotism and malpractice by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) chairman, who has been suspended by the Governor for the same, the
Amidst allegations of nepotism and malpractice by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) chairman, who has been suspended by the Governor for the same, the Commission is in the eye of the storm again over alleged corruption in recruitment exams. Hundreds of candidates who appeared for the recruitment of Veterinary Officer posts gathered in front of the Vidhana Soudha Police Station on Thursday (July 23) and submitted a complaint, alleging large-scale irregularities in the recently announced final selection list. Three allegations In the complaint submitted to the police, aspirants have made three pointed allegations.
Like the allegations against the now-suspended KPSC chairman illegally benefiting his daughters, a candidate related to a top official of KPSC figures in the final list. The candidate who failed in the veterinary course and is a repeater secured a high score in the KPSC exam, they alleged. Further, they said candidates who did not clear veterinary officer exams conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) secured high scores in KPSC exams. They further claimed many candidates got calls from middlemen who sought money to ensure the candidates’ names were in the final list.
They also suspected that groups of aspirants were taken to resorts where question papers and answers were provided before hand. Sting operation The protesters claimed that an alleged sting operation had exposed a cash-for-jobs racket, in which an agent was heard demanding ₹80 lakh for securing a Veterinary Officer post, with ₹40 lakh to be paid in advance. In the purported audio recording, the alleged agent tells the candidate’s father that the payment must be made in cash in Bengaluru and discourages online transactions. The agent allegedly assures a “99% guarantee” of securing the job and even offers to provide a cheque as security if there are doubts about the deal.
CBI probe The aggrieved candidates demanded that the recruitment process be immediately scrapped and that an independent probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) be ordered to investigate the allegations. There has been no official response from the KPSC regarding the allegations so far. The Vidhana Soudha Police have taken up the complaint and initiated a probe. No FIR has been registered yet.
The BriefWire