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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Solid waste management: SC flags complete failure in implementing 2016 Rules in Delhi
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has flagged the "complete failure" of agencies in implementing the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 in the national capital and directed the chief secretary of the Delhi government to call a meeting of all stakeholders to discuss the issue.
The apex court observed it is a matter of immense importance that the 2016 Rules are implemented in their true letter and spirit in the capital city.
"If we find that all other authorities do not come together and tell us the time-bound schedule for implementation of the 2016 Rules, the court may have to consider of passing harsh orders," a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih said in its order passed on November 11.
The bench said, "We direct the chief secretary of the Delhi Government to call a meeting of all the stakeholders, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, to discuss the issue of implementation of the 2016 Rules".
It said all stakeholders must come together and file a common report before the court laying down the time-lines for reporting compliance with the provisions of the 2016 Rules.
The apex court said the exercise of holding a meeting and coming out with a common response shall be completed by December 13.
"As we have been noticing in other cases also, the 2016 Rules have remained on paper. If in the territory of NCT of Delhi, there is a complete failure to implement the 2016 rules, one can imagine what must be happening in cities in other parts of the country," the bench said.
It noted that on one hand, there was no implementation of the 2016 rules due to which garbage or solid waste was being illegally stored in landfill sites which were prone to fires and, on the other hand, a large number of construction activities were going on which adds to generation of solid and construction wastes.
"The Delhi government must come out with the figures for the daily generation of solid waste in the city while submitting the report," it said.
The bench authorised the special secretary of the Delhi government's environment department to call officers concerned of the Centre for the meeting, if the involvement of any department of the Centre was required in the implementation of the 2016 Rules.
"If the special secretary finds that any of the stakeholders are not cooperating, we permit him to move an application to this court to seek directions," the bench said and posted the matter for further hearing on December 16.
The issue of solid waste management in Delhi-NCR has cropped up before the apex court which is hearing a matter related to pollution in the national capital and adjoining areas.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had on October 18 told the apex court that by 2026, it will exceed its capacity of processing 11,000 tonnes of solid waste generated daily in the national capital.
On July 26, the top court had expressed its concern over the poor implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules in the national capital and observed that over 3,000 tonnes of untreated solid waste per day in Delhi could lead to a "public health emergency".
The apex court had slammed the MCD over the "sorry state of affairs" and said that the national capital generates over 11,000 tonnes of solid waste per day, while the daily capacity of processing plants was only 8,073 tonnes
