Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday requested the Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore to intervene and restrain Congress-led State Government from “unilaterally and unconstitutionally” appointing six Punjab Public Service Commission members and two RTI Commissioners, “by violating all norms, rules and procedures”.
The party has asked the Governor to ensure that laid down rules are followed before the State Government takes his approval for the appointments, besides ensuring to maintain fairness, transparency and merit in the same.
AAP MlA and the leader of Opposition Sukhpal Khaira wrote a letter to Bandore bringing to his notice that “Punjab Government is trying to appoint six members of Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) and two RTI Commissioners, without following proper rules and procedure”.
“They may send you the file pertaining to these appointments to you also for getting your approval and I am writing you to make you aware that how state government is trying to bypass the rules and procedure so that they can go ahead without being transparent and fair in the matter,” said Khaira in his letter to the Governor.
Khaira pointed that the procedure for these appointments requires consultation or concurrence of the leader of Opposition. “However, Special Secretary Personnel Department approached me a few days back to get my signatures on the file containing the names of six PPSC members and two RTI Commissioners cleared by the Chief Minister and the Speaker. When I confronted the officer as to what was the criteria adopted to shortlist the names of said appointments, the officer failed to give any satisfactory reply,” said Khiar.
He said that he was astonished that the Chief Minister wanted the leader of Opposition to approve the names by casually circulating the names of such important constitutional appointments without holding a meeting of the selection committee. “This showed casual and indifferent approach of the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh while making appointments to such important offices, which are supposed to render justice,” he said.
Khaira underlined that the PPSC plays very crucial role as it selects the officers of the state government who for the next several years would remain in public service.
“In the past too, PPSC was marred by a major controversy after its chairman was held and has now even been sentenced for corruption. However, little transparency or fairness have been shown while finalizing the names for appointment of its members and apparently merit is becoming a casualty,” he said.
Khiara informed the Governor that he has asked the officer to show him the entire file of proceedings adopted by the government, as to how they shortlisted these appointments out of more than 150 people who had applied for these jobs. “I also raised important question if the screening or search committee interviewed the applicants or gave them any personal hearing. The government must disclose how the committee fixed merit to decide the appointments,” he said.
He also pointed that the government sent the file to him after deciding the appointments, whereas rules and decency demand that leader of Opposition’s concurrence should have been taken before deciding the appointments. This procedure of involving the loP in these important appointments was laid down to maintain balance in the selection system so that merit can be ensured in these appointments, he added.
Khaira said that he would not act like a rubber stamp or a mute spectator on such vital issues of constitutional appointments as envisaged in the rules and as expected from holder of an important public office.
He added that he has already written to the Chief Secretary asking him to furnish the criteria, rules and procedure adopted by the government to make these appointments. “I have also publicly urged the Chief Minister to reconsider these appointments and to convene a meeting with the Speaker and loP to decide afresh,” he added.