Recruitments lacked transparency before I became CM: Chouhan

Chouhan, who yesterday completed 12 years as chief minister of MP, was recently cleared by the CBI in the Vyapam scam case.

"In my 12 years stint, lakhs of recruitments have taken place (in different government departments via Vyapam) but irregularities came to the fore in 1,700 cases," Chouhan said in an interview.

Asked about the virtual clean chit he got from the CBI in the scam, in which the Congress dragged his name, the BJP stalwart said, "I do not want to go into the details but I want to explain in brief that before Vyapam, the recruitments to different posts lacked transparency."

Citing the case of recruitments of police constables, he said they were done by inspectors general of police and superintendents of police without any written test.

"They did all. 100 per cent fraud took place," alleged Chouhan.

Collectors and deputy collectors recruited patwaris (lower rung revenue officials). There was no systematic system in recruitment. Teachers were employed by janpads and panchayats (in rural areas), he pointed out.

Chouhan claimed the recruitments that took place (in government departments) before he became the chief minister were "100 per cent fraudulent and unjust while during his tenure it was just 1,700 out of lakhs."

"I made a system with written tests and the one based on merits," he said.

He said the Vyapam conducted these tests and came out with a system. "Some irregularities took place, but how much? They were 1,700 in the recruitment of lakhs of people in my 12 year tenure," said the chief minister, who had the longest tenure on the top post in the state's history.

He said those who tampered with the system and committed irregularities have paid for it. Further, referring to the Pre-Medical Test (PMT), Chouhan said the private medical colleges not only in MP but in different states conducted their own tests.

"If you check their transparency, it will be 100 per cent based on money exchanging hands," he claimed. The money, he said, "exchanged hands under the table and the wealthy cracked the PMT."

He said his government brought an Act forbidding private colleges to take admission tests.