In a scathing indictment, the CAG audit report on Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB or Vyapam as it is commonly known) has alleged that the appointments to the post of director and controller of the board were made by systemic subversion of rules resulting into undue favours to the officers.
Giving specific instances, the report, which was tabled in the Assembly on Friday, pointed out that Dr Yogesh Uprit and Dr Pankaj Trivedi were appointed director and controller of examinations respectively, directly on orders of the then minister flouting all rules. Dr Trivedi was subsequently posted as director alongwith his post as controller. Similarly, Ajay Sen, senior system analyst and Nitin Mohindra, system analyst were given undue favour by upgrading their pay scales without approval of the board or government.
“These officers were later suspected to be involved in the alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the board,” the report said.
The Report has recommended that the irregularities may be investigated and responsibility may be fixed.
The CAG report is bound to add to the discomfiture of the state government which has faced severe criticism over the multi-layered Vyapam scam, which has seen several Vyapam officials and even a former BJP minister being sent to prison on charges of corruption.
The CAG report pointed out that there was confusion over the status of Vyapam, whether it was a government department or not. Though the state government declared that it would not be responsible for any act of commission or omission by Vyapam, the government made all the crucial appointments and thus had control over the top management of the board. Moreover the government accepted that the board was a government department in inter-departmental deliberations, and this status was also confirmed by its own law department. Despite this, the government did not frame any rules for the department to ensure transparency and prevention of malpractices. The CAG notes, “The shadowy control of the board was a clear case of exercise of power without assumption of responsibility.”
{{/usCountry}}The CAG report pointed out that there was confusion over the status of Vyapam, whether it was a government department or not. Though the state government declared that it would not be responsible for any act of commission or omission by Vyapam, the government made all the crucial appointments and thus had control over the top management of the board. Moreover the government accepted that the board was a government department in inter-departmental deliberations, and this status was also confirmed by its own law department. Despite this, the government did not frame any rules for the department to ensure transparency and prevention of malpractices. The CAG notes, “The shadowy control of the board was a clear case of exercise of power without assumption of responsibility.”
{{/usCountry}}The report also criticized the way recruitment examination for State level posts were transferred to the board in April 2003, without corresponding increase in its manpower and this affected the conduct of examination by the board. The report recommended that the recruitment to government posts and examination for admission to professional courses should be entrusted to separate institutions.
In a scathing indictment, the report notes, “Thus, a primary function of the government to ensure free and fair recruitment to its own services, which was till now being conducted by the PSC/government departments, was jettisoned in favour of an institution which was neither statutory nor independent, nor functioned under well laid regulations.”
The report said that the government did not take any remedial measures by framing rules to prevent irregularities even after the board reported some cases of irregularities in conduct of exams. Also both the board and state government misutilised board funds to the tune of Rs 13.75 crores and its funds were kept outside government account and it was not subjected to budgetary control of the state legislature.
IN BOX
Vyapam was set up in 1982 for conducting entrance tests for admissions in the medical engineering, agriculture and polytechnic colleges of the state. In April 2003, the board was entrusted the responsibilities to conduct recruitment to those State level posts which wwere not filled by the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC). The scam surfaced in 2012 and its investigation is with the CBI at present.