PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Uttarakhand Berozgar Sangh (UBS) president Ram Kandwal along with unemployed nursing graduates on Thursday alleged a Rs 32 lakh fraud in nursing recruitment examination in the State. Addressing the media here on Thursday they demanded immediate suspension of the exam and a high-level investigation.
Kandwal alleged that a person named Charu Chandra Joshi cheated a female candidate by claiming to have influence in the DG Health office and connections in the recruitment process. Additionally, he is the drug inspector at DG Health.
“He allegedly showed her a video call from a meeting at the Health minister’s residence and told her that the exam was confirmed. He then demanded Rs 32 lakh to get her the job,” Kandwal claimed. According to him, after repeated assurances, the candidate was sent 50 to 60 payment scanners. “Rs 1.5 lakh was allegedly transferred to a scanner in the name of Mohan Chand Mishra,” he said. Kandwal further alleged that the candidate pledged gold worth Rs 15 lakh and gave it to Joshi to secure the job.
He said Joshi was also accused in a Rs five lakh fraud case earlier. Targeting the government, Kandwal said, “Health minister Subodh Uniyal recently stated that there is no copying or cheating in the State. But how did a person like Joshi get access to show a video call claiming it was from the Health minister’s meeting? He was also seen roaming around the DG Health office. This should be investigated.”
He demanded that the July 25 nursing exam be suspended immediately. Along with this, an STF or SIT should be constituted to probe the entire recruitment process. Kandwal warned that if the government does not act within 3 days, the agitation will be intensified.
Nursing Ekta Manch (NEM) president Naval Pundir said the sit-in by unemployed nursing graduates at Ekta Vihar entered its 269th day on Thursday.
He said candidates have documents and evidence related to alleged suspicious transactions linked to the July 25 exam. “The veracity of this evidence should be determined through an independent and impartial investigation. If irregularities are proven, the recruitment process should be cancelled and strict action should be taken against the culprits as per rules,” Pundir said.
