Fifth of UP Assembly jobs allegedly given to VVIP kin; High Court calls it 'recruitment scam’
Lucknow: The recruitment process for administrative positions in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and Legislative Council during 2020–2021 has come under scrutiny after allegations of nepotism and irregularities surfaced. Following an investigation by The Indian Express, it was revealed that a fifth of the jobs, meant to fill 186 vacancies, were secured by relatives of officials and political leaders, raising serious concerns about transparency and fairness.
The Allahabad High Court, in an order dated September 18, 2023, described the process as “shocking” and akin to a “recruitment scam.” The Court ordered a CBI probe, which was later stayed by the Supreme Court on October 13, 2023. The next hearing is scheduled for January 6, 2025.
The recruitment was conducted during the tenure of H.N. Dikshit, then Speaker of the UP Assembly. The process, managed by two private firms, TSR Data Processing and Rabhav, reportedly favoured relatives of senior officials, ministers, and even the firms' owners.
Among those selected were:
The Speaker’s PRO and his brother, who were appointed to key positions. Dikshit denied any involvement, stating the recruitment was managed by an external agency.
Relatives of Jai Prakash Singh, Principal Secretary of Parliamentary Affairs, and Pradeep Dubey, Principal Secretary of the Assembly, who defended the selections citing merit.
Family members of political leaders, including the nephew of former minister Mahendra Singh and the son of former Officer on Special Duty Ajay Kumar Singh.
Relatives of the owners of the recruitment firms also secured jobs, including the wife of Ram Parvesh Yadav, owner of Rabhav, who is related to a former Deputy Lokayukta. Family members of TSR Data Processing directors, including a nephew, niece, and brother-in-law also secured jobs.
The Allahabad High Court criticised amendments in recruitment rules, which shifted the responsibility from the UP Public Service Commission to the Assembly and Legislative Council. The Court questioned the credibility of the private firms hired to conduct the exams, noting that both had faced legal action in the past for alleged recruitment manipulations.
“The procedure for identifying external agencies surfaced in doubt... this was not less than a recruitment scam,” the court had remarked.
Recruitment timeline :
UP Council Secretariat advertised 99 posts in September 2020; conducted exams in November and December 2020. Results were declared on March 11, 2021.
UP Assembly Secretariat advertised 87 posts in December 2020; exams and typing tests were conducted between January and March 2021. Results were announced on March 26, 2021.
Approximately 2.5 lakh candidates reportedly applied for these positions. However, several petitions alleged manipulation of results, including altered OMR sheets and typing tests.
The CBI had initiated a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) and taken possession of recruitment records before the Supreme Court’s stay. The matter now awaits further proceedings, with the Supreme Court set to hear the case in January 2025.
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Patna-bound IndiGo flight makes emergency landing at Lucknow due to bad weather
Lucknow (PTI): Adverse weather forced an IndiGo Kolkata-Patna flight to make an emergency landing at Lucknow airport on Friday, airport sources said.
According to airport officials, weather conditions in Patna deteriorated suddenly on Friday afternoon, affecting flight operations.
IndiGo flight 6E 6917 from Kolkata, which was scheduled to land in Patna at 3.50 pm, could not land due to bad weather and kept circling in the air after failing to get clearance from air traffic control, they said.
The flight was later diverted to Lucknow and landed safely at the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport at around 5.15 pm. There were 180 passengers and six crew members on board, officials said.
The aircraft was later allowed to depart for Patna after weather conditions improved.
