Fake job scam: Chief agricultural officer demands investigation

The matter came to light when a youngster approached the agriculture development officer in Hoshiarpur saying he was employed at the agriculture department in Ludhiana and furnished an employment letter

A fake job scam has surfaced in the state agriculture department, where youngsters were duped on the pretext of securing them a job in the agriculture department.

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Chief agriculture officer Narinder Singh Benipal wrote to commissioner of police Rakesh Agrawal and deputy commissioner (DC)Varinder Sharma highlighting the matter and demanded a thorough probe.

CAO Narinder Singh Benipal said the matter came to light when a youngster approached the agriculture development officer in Hoshiarpur saying he was employed at the agriculture department in Ludhiana and furnished an employment letter, in which the youngster was asked to report to the office of the chief agriculture officer between August 10 to August 16.

The letter reads Jaswant Singh of Mukerian town of Hoshiarpur has been appointed senior member of technical staff and was assured an in-hand salary of ₹22,000. “The agriculture department has not made any such recruitment so far,” said Benipal.

He said, “Even the department’s name ‘cooperation and farmer welfare agriculture department’ is wrong as no such department exists. So far, we have come across three persons who have been duped. We have brought the matter to the notice of authorities to get the issue investigated so the culprit is sent behind the bars soon,” said Benipal.

The swindlers also conducted a written examination and arranged their medical tests. “We suspected youngsters from other parts of the state were also duped,” said Benipal. Earlier in June, the department of agriculture came under fire after the owner of Brar seed store on Ferozepur Road in Ludhiana was caught selling fake seeds issued by PAU.