Jobs are on sale in PSC: Tarigami

I’ll speak to Chairman to set the system right: CM

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

JAMMU, Mar 23: Even as Special Judge anticorruption in Srinagar has directed State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) to proceed with an inquiry into allegations of unfair means in recent selection of Assistant Veterinary Surgeons, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today assured Legislative Assembly that he would personally speak to Chairman of Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission (PSC) to set the system right. Chief Minister was responding to CPI (M) State Secretary and MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami’s impression that jobs were on sale in the PSC.

During his speech on grants of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s portfolios, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami expressed his serious concern over loss of faith of the young generation into the credibility of the state’s recruitment agencies.

“There is a wide perception among our educated youth today that jobs are on sale in the Public Service Commission. I have very compelling reasons to believe that there is little difference between this perception and the reality as the rules and procedures have been violated in recent selections. What’s the justification of reserving 50% of marks for interview and examining your own relatives? Why don’t we find such a perception vis-à-vis Competent Authority for Entrance Examinations that makes selection of candidates for all professional degree courses? We must realize that even a mere public perception is often as harmful as the reality”, Tarigami asserted.

Tarigami said that he had personally faith in integrity of the PSC Chairman, S L Bhat but at the same time he was flooded with serious complaints and reliable reports of wrongdoing during the selection process. He emphasized that something serious and urgent needed to be done to redeem the image of the institution that was responsible for selection of cream of the public services in Jammu & Kashmir. “This is the question of our young generation’s future. Their despair would not augur well for the state”, he added. According to him, it was an extremely serious matter that credibility of the PSC had become suspect and the youth were losing faith in the institution.

In sharp contrast to his tweeting away the Early Times series on the PSC’s worst ever selection process, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assured Tarigami on the floor of the House today that he would personally speak to his colleagues in the government and Chairman of PSC to set the system right. He said that he was seized of the matter as the complaints pouring in to Mr Tarigami were also routed to him. He assured the people of the state through Assembly that credibility of the PSC as also faith of the young generation into the autonomous institution would be preserved with necessary corrective measures.

Meanwhile, disposing a petition filed by parents of eight of the dropped candidates, Special Judge Anticorruption Kashmir, Rasheed Ali Dar, has directed respondent Commissioner of Vigilance to proceed with an inquiry into the allegations of corruption and other unfair means leveled by the petitioners.

After recording statements of the complainants, the court in Srinagar ordered: “It has been admitted in the complaint by the complainant that the Vigilance Organization is making probe of the allegations which form subject matter of the complaint. Taking note of the same, the complaint is forwarded for further necessary action to the Vigilance Organization which shall proceed in the matter in the light of Standing instructions governing the said organization”.

The parents of the highly meritorious candidates, who have been dropped in the selection, have sought in the petition registration of a criminal matter by State Vigilance Organisation against the PSC functionaries associated with the process.

The selection has been already stayed by Mr Justice Hasnain Masoodi of Jammu & Kashmir High Court.

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