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Dehradun

Speaker orders probe in controversial appointments in Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha

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IEP DEHRADUN, September 4,2022

In a major decision the Uttarakhand Assembly speaker Ritu Khanduri has constituted a three-member expert committee to investigate the allegations of illegal appointments and promotions of employees in the State Assembly. The committee headed by former principal secretary Dilip Kumar Kotia has been asked to submit its report in a period of one month.

The other two members of the committee are Surendra Singh Rawat and AS Nayal. All the three experts of the committee are retired officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and had held the position of secretary, Personnel in the past. In another decision, the speaker has sent the Vidhan Sabha Secretary Mukesh Kumar Singhal on a long leave. He will have to remain present before the expert committee whenever required and help in the investigation proceedings. Interacting with the media persons about her decisions at her office in Vidhan Sabha on Saturday, Khanduri categorically stated that strict action would be taken on the basis of the report of the expert committee.

She said that any type of indiscipline and irregularity is not acceptable to her as speaker and that she is ready to take strict measures for reforms in Vidhan Sabha in the greater interests of the people of the State. Khanduri accepted that recent disclosures and media reports have tarnished the image of the Vidhan Sabha and she would adopt every possible measure to restore it. She said that the expert committee would investigate the appointments made in the Vidhan Sabha in two phases, in the first phase the appointments done from the year 2012 till date would be investigated and in the second the appointments from the year 2000 to 2011 would be scanned.

The regulations of Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha were formulated in the year 2011, prior it the provisions of Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha regulations were applicable. In a clear message that she means business, the speaker said that impressed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she decided to come to public life and has made his quote ‘ Na Khaunga Na Khane Dunga’ her guiding principle

Dehradun

Minister Premchand Agarwal defends appointments made in Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha during his tenure as Speaker

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IEP DEHRADUN

Uttarakhand Finance and Urban development Minister Premchand Agarwal defended the appointments made in Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha during his tenure as the Speaker. Responding to the questions of the media persons at the Bharatiya Janata Party State office here on Saturday, Agarwal claimed that all the appointments made in the Vidhan Sabha were as per the rules and no irregularity occurred in the appointments. He said that all the appointments are temporary and were done as the Vidhan Sabha secretariat was suffering from shortage of staff.

When pointed out by the media persons that the list of 72 persons appointed during his tenure include the names of the Public Relations Officers (PROs) of the ministers, relatives of the Officers on Special Duty (OSDs) of the chief minister and other prominent personalities, Agarwal accepted that they were appointed and that it was done on the basis of their ability. He said that for the first time in the history of Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha, a recruitment examination was held but its result was not declared as some aspirants had gone to the High Court. Agarwal said that the employees were recruited on an ad hoc basis because they were needed for the Vidhan Sabha building at Bharadisain in Gairsain, the summer capital of Uttarakhand. The statement of the minister assumes significance amid allegations of favouritism and corruption in the recruitments in the fourth Vidhan Sabha of Uttarakhand. It is pertinent to mention here that the Vidhan Sabha secretariat released an advertisement for recruitment of 35 personnel in the year 2020. An agency was selected for selecting the candidates from among more than 8,000 applicants. This agency conducted the examination but its result was not declared.

Meanwhile the Vidhan Sabha recruited 72 ad hoc employees on different posts in December 2021. After their appointment the model code of conduct was imposed in the State on account of the Assembly elections. The list is said to contain the names of the PROs of ministers, wives of two OSDs of the CM and relatives of prominent personalities.

The opposition parties are now demanding an indepth inquiry in the appointments of favour made in the Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha. The Uttarakhand Assembly which has a strength of only 70 MLAs employs more than 550 employees which is said to be the highest among the State assemblies of the country. The State Assembly reportedly has more employees than the Vidhan Sabha secretariat staff of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh that has 405 MLAs. Interestingly the Uttarakhand Assembly has only 15 -16 sittings in a year as compared to 60 or more of the other States.