Himachal Pradesh: Two months after paper leak scam, Sukhu dissolves job body HPSSC

shimla: Two months after the paper leak scam sent shocks, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu dissolved the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission (HPSSC) established at Hamirpur — the home district of the Chief Minister.

The functions of the commission will now be performed by Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission, a constitutional body at the state level.

The Commission was set up during the BJP regime led by Prem Kumar Dhumal for recruitment to non-gazetted posts in 1998-99.

Initially named as Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board, it had remained in controversy even earlier when Virbhadra Singh took over the reins from Prem Kumar Dhumal in 2003.

Chairman of the commission — a retired IAS officer — faced vigilance cases.

Virbhadra Singh also wanted to dissolve the job body given the irregularities and alleged corruption but later dropped the idea.

Once again when Sukhu took over as Chief Minister, the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau busted a major recruitment scam involving certain key officials of the Commission, including a woman officer and her son relating to the selling of a paper meant for JOA (IT) examination.

The Vigilance and Anti–Corruption Bureau investigations have revealed that the woman, her son and some other touts had earlier also leaked the question papers of some exams for money.

“It was a very perturbing revelation as it looked like the selections to several government jobs have been compromised. This can’t be allowed to happen as after all the youths, who should on merit and worked hard to qualify for the selection, hold the right to get jobs, not those buying the question papers,” Sukhu said.

“We have decided to dissolve the commission henceforth with immediate effect after taking into consideration the charges levelled in the inquiry reports indicating the involvement of many officials from top to bottom in the paper leaks scams and other irregularities committed during the past three years,” he said. Sukhu said that the first charge sheet, in this case, would be filed in the court to see that guilty be punished.

The government has decided to transfer the ongoing recruitment process from HPSSC to Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) Shimla, for the convenience of the candidates, till further arrangements.

The employees of the Staff Selection Commission have been transferred to the surplus pool and options will be given to them to join the new departments of their choice.

He said that the functioning of the Staff Selection Commission was under the scanner since paper leak scams came to the fore and the culprits were nabbed.