Several MPs, including those from the ruling BJP, have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the “gross violation” of recruitment rules (RR) by the Agriculture Ministry to “accommodate” a candidate as the Deputy General Manager in the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), under the Ministry.
According to documents available with The Pioneer, the Ministry “accommodated” the candidate despite its own screening committee finding him ineligible for the post. BJP MP Keshav Prasad Maurya and senior Rajya Sabha member Sharad Yadav have in their separate letters to the PM apprised him of the recruitment norms being flouted by his Government in violation of DoPT’s rules.
Earlier, nine candidates were shortlisted by the Screening Committee which said “DN Thakur is overaged for the said post”. But Ministry’s Joint Secretary Raj Singh went on to add Thakur’s name taking the list to 10 for the interview. He noted “only one candidate whose application has been forwarded through proper channel and is otherwise eligible except the age is Thakur” and thus the “competent authority may consider relaxing the criteria of age in respect of DN Thakur”. The sudden inclusion of Thakur’s name for the interview round on Saturday by a note through the Ministry’s Joint Secretary has raised eyebrows. The notice pertaining to this appointment had fixed the maximum age limit for the post not to exceed 55 years. Thakur, who is, at present, Director Credit, in the Agriculture Ministry is 56 years old.
A top DoPT official said that the ministry has violated the service rules as granting relaxation at a later stage to the overage candidate for Rson deputation basis post’ is contrary to the Recruitment Rules (RR) of NCDC. “Known for e-governance, free, fair and transparent appointments in Government, this is a big blot in the system which has ignored the recommendations of its own Screening Committee. The committee had recommended nine candidates, out of 17 applicants, eligible for personal talk to be held on January 10, 2015 by including one ineligible/overage candidate,” stated Maurya, lok Sabha MP from Allahabad, in his letter to the Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh.
Yadav, in his letter, requested the PM to probe in detail about such kind of malafides in important ministries and for very sensitive posts. Other Parliamentrians who have written on this subject to PM and Agriculture Minister are Rajya Sabha member Kanak lata Singh and Congress MP from Mizoram Cl Ruala.