M A I N   N E W S

Chairman to take up demand
PPSC Secy’s replacement
Jangveer Singh
Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 14
The Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) Chairman Lt-Gen Surjit Singh Sanghra (retd), today reportedly agreed to take up with government the demand for the replacement of the commission’s newly appointed Secretary, Examinations, Mr Ashwani Sharma, following complaints from some members of the commission that Mr Sharma’’s appointment was not appropriate as his brother was running a Civil Services training institute in the city.

An indication to this effect was given at a meeting of the full board of the commission which met at the PPSC headquarters here under the chairmanship General Sanghra (retd). The Chairman could not be contacted on the issue because the telephone system of the commission was reportedly out of order. However, commission member Harjit Kaur Randhawa said after the meeting that the Chairman had promised to talk to the government on the issue of removal of Mr Sharma from the commission.

Mrs Randhawa said the Chairman had assured the members of the commission at the outset of the meeting that the appointment of Mr Sharma could be reviewed if there was even an iota of doubt that the examination process could be affected due to his posting in the commission. She said the Chairman assured the members that he would talk to the government on the issue at the earliest so that no doubt could be cast on the examination process of the commission.

Sources said the commission was seriously looking into the objections raised over the appointment of Mr Sharma. This could be gauged from the fact that Mr Sharma was not allowed to sit at the meeting of the board today. Some members had earlier alleged that Mr Sharma’s brother was running a highly successful Civil Services coaching institute under the name of Vidya Sagar Shastri Memorial IAS Study Centre in the city.

Earlier another member of the commission, Mr Amarjit Singh Chawla, while talking to TNS said some members had taken serious note of the appointment of Mr Sharma as Secretary, Examinations, after his close connection with a local institute was discovered. He said it was unfortunate that a man belonging to Patiala whose brother is running an academy in the city had been appointed as Secretary of the commission. He said it was conveyed to the Chairman of the commission that the appointment could dent the image of the commission which had recently suffered a serious setback after former Chairman of the commission Ravinderpal Singh Sidhu was arrested on graft charges.

Meanwhile, the issue of re-examination of PCS officers whose services had been terminated by the commission as well those candidates who had sat in the earlier examination was also discussed at the meeting. The members were informed that the commission had received the requisition from the state government for filling the posts. As many as 91 PCS officers had been terminated by the State government following allegations of graft as well as fudging of answers sheets of a number of VIP candidates.

The commission, meanwhile, is yet to decide on the date for the reexamination. The sources said the reexamination was likely to be held within the next three months with more than 13,000 candidates being called for it. The commission has also decided to streamline and make the recruitment process transparent.