E-Paper
Former Haryana minister Karan Singh Dalal seeks Prez intervention to halt HCS promotions
In a communication to President Droupadi Murmu, the Congress leader said that an unlawful exercise has been started by the Haryana government in the promotion of 2002-batch HCS officers to IAS by yet again sending a proposal to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) despite the fact that the UPSC had rejected it earlier.
Former Haryana minister Karan Singh Dalal on Tuesday sought the President’s intervention to halt the process of promoting 2002-batch Haryana Civil Services (HCS) officers to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) on the grounds that they have been arraigned as accused by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) in a case of alleged irregularities in the recruitment process of HCS and allied services examination.
In a communication to President Droupadi Murmu, the Congress leader said that an unlawful exercise has been started by the Haryana government in the promotion of 2002-batch HCS officers to IAS by yet again sending a proposal to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) despite the fact that the UPSC had rejected it earlier.
The President had in 2023 given her nod to prosecute former HPSC chairperson KC Bangar and five former members for allegedly misusing their official position in the conduct of 2001 HCS (executive branch) and allied services examination. The exam was conducted by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) during the INLD regime led by former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala.
The UPSC, in a May 2, 2023 communication, had asked the Haryana government to revisit the matter and clarify the position after the latter had in December 2022 sent an eligibility list containing names of 11 2022-batch HCS officers for promotion to IAS.
The UPSC’s communication said that the report of anti-corruption bureau has indicated that the selection process for recruitment to the 2001 and 2004 HCS (executive branch) and allied services examinations was manipulated and the whole recruitment process was completely vitiated.
“It is observed from the September 8, 2022 report of the state vigilance bureau that some of the candidates whose names figure in this vigilance report also figured in the eligibility lists received from the state government for promotion to IAS of Haryana cadre for select lists of 2020 and 2021. However, an April 7, 2023 communication from the state government has simply informed that the said report has no bearing on the proposals furnished by the state government for preparation of select lists of 2020 and 2021 for promotion to IAS of Haryana cadre,” the UPSC wrote.
The UPSC also asked the state government to intimate the status of a writ petition filed by former Haryana minister Karan Singh Dalal in the Punjab and Haryana high court challenging the 2001 HCS selections.
Dalal said that ACB after conducting an investigation found the selection of 2002-batch HCS as tainted and charge-sheeted them after finding them guilty of committing various offences. They have been summoned by a court at Hisar and facing trial.
