Hundreds of top level officials hired illegally in U’khand, alleges Bobby Panwar

Tuesday, 12 NOVEMBER 2024  | PNS | DEHRADUN

The president of Uttarakhand Berozgar Sangh (UBS) Bobby Panwar has alleged that hundreds of individuals were unlawfully recruited to government jobs in Uttarakhand after the State was formed, many of whom now occupy senior positions across various departments. In a Press conference at the Press Club in Dehradun on Monday, Panwar highlighted that the Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) issued an advertisement on January 20, 2001, to recruit junior and assistant engineers through the standard selection process. However, he claimed that UPCL later facilitated the recruitment of certain candidates for UJVN Limited (UJVNL) via interviews, mostly including individuals previously disqualified by UPCL, as well as some who had not even applied for the initial recruitment. Panwar claimed that UPCL lacked the authority to recruit for UJVNL, labelling these hires as part of an unlawful process. Many of these recruits, he alleged, have since been regularised and are now senior officials in various departments. He further alleged that when UBS questioned authorities about the regularisation of these appointments, officials cited guidelines issued in 2013 as justification. He claimed that similar irregularities extended to top positions, pointing to Sunil Kumar Joshi, chief general manager at NABARD, as an example of someone appointed in this manner. He alleged that at least 30 individuals, who are now general managers in various departments, along with hundreds of other officers, were appointed through fraudulent recruitment methods. Expressing frustration, Panwar stated, “It is shameful that no government has taken cognisance of this issue since the State was established.” He also claimed that the government has extended the tenure of certain officers or transferred them to specific departments to act as “recovery agents” in ways that contradict the rules. Panwar urged the government to create equal opportunities for unemployed youth, saying, “If this is how jobs and extensions are granted here, I urge the government to provide similar opportunities to our unemployed youth.” He said that the UBS will send a formal letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a CBI investigation into these alleged recruitments and the assets of the officers appointed through these methods. He warned that if the government fails to address the issue, UBS will approach the High Court to pursue justice.