Assam CM: 57 Civil Servants Removed From Duty So Far

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the Assam Assembly on Tuesday that a total of 57 state employees had been fired for their suspected participation in “pay for employment” scams.

CM Sarma said in a speech to the House during the present budget session of the Assam Legislative Assembly that 57 state employees from the 2013, 2015, and 2016 batches had been apprehended on suspicion of corruption and fired as a result.

The Assam CM was also made aware that three additional government employees had been appointed as approvers by the authorities.

Answering to a question put forward by Congress MLA Bharat Chandra Nath, CM Sarma said in the assembly, “”60 people who passed the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) examinations in those years have been brought under investigation. Out of 60, 57 were arrested and discharged from services in the APSC cash for job scam.”

“Three other officials agreed to become approvers and they are under suspension at present,” he further added.

The Assam CM stated that the Justice B K Sharma Commission’s report on the enormous payment for jobs scam at the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) that rocked the state and the ensuing inquiry into the matter has not yet been acknowledged by the government.

According to CM Sarma, it has been sent to a committee for evaluation in the meantime.

It should be mentioned that the APSC was involved in widespread cash-for-jobs scandals, which resulted in the 2016 arrest of its former Chairman Rakesh Paul and 57 other civil workers.

Rakesh Paul’s bail request was once more denied in December of last year in connection with the APSC recruiting scandal. Rakesh Paul had requested bail in the case involving the Agricultural Development Officer (ADO) bribery that was filed at the Bhangagarh Police Station.

Paul had been given bail in connection with three other cases against him, it became clear in the meantime. The court allegedly stated at the hearing on his bail application that it was not the appropriate moment to release him on bond.

The case was still pending in the fast-track court throughout this period.

Bedanta Bikash Das, one of the two contenders for the position of ADO, had previously admitted to paying Rakesh Paul, the then-APSC Chairman, Rs. 50,000 in bribe money in order to get hired.

He filed a case at the Bhangagarh Police Station against the other applicant, Mrigen Haloi, and requested that appropriate action be taken against him when he was unsuccessful in getting the job.

Rakesh Paul’s bail request had earlier in September of this year been denied by the special judge’s court in relation to the APSC recruiting scandal for the sixth time.

The government was represented by attorney Makhan Phukan, who provided the court with information about the situation. The lower court had been ordered by the HC to wrap up his trial in six months.

He received bail in the case brought by the CID last year. The former APSC chairman, Rakesh Pal, was arrested in November 2016 and incarcerated for more than five years.