Hamirpur, March 11
Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Board Surendra Mohan Katwal today joined the team of the Enforcement in the seal-and-search operation of the records of the
board. The department had started sealing the office of the board and the residence of the Chairman following reports that records of the board were being destroyed by the staff.
Mr Katwal, who was on leave since Saturday, reached his Hiranagar residence in the town along with his wife and a brother-in-law this morning. They had to remain outside as the house was sealed.
Speaking to the reporters waiting in the lawns of the house, he said he had gone to Amritsar in connection with the marriage of his relative. He got the news on Sunday morning when he read “The Tribune” there. Mr Katwal said since he had done no wrong, there was nothing to worry.
He however, justified the burning of records after the three-month period. There was a provision in the Rules of Business to burn the records as there was shortage of storage space. Also there was no need to keep the records for a longer time as the 90-day period was enough for those aggrieved by the selection.
He said that he became victim of the “nefarious designs” of those aspiring to get jobs but could not get those due to various reasons.
Mr Katwal parried questions regarding the internal functioning of the board.
Mr Katwal reached his office
around 12 noon in his official car. He met DIG Jagjit Kumar Gupta, in charge of the Enforcement Department team, and gave the team the record wanted by them.Later, the team went to Mr Katwal’s residence and made a search of various documents in the presence of the Naib Tehsildar, Hamirpur. The wife and brother-in-law of Mr Katwal were inside the house during the search and seizure operation.
Though no information was given about the documents and other material seized during the search operations, there are reports that the team took jewellery and other precious materials of the Katwal family.
