The screening committee, headed by Punjab Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh to select a panel of five candidates for the only vacant IAS post to be filled from among non-PCS officers in the State, held interactions with 15 Punjab officials on Thursday.
Coming out with a new procedure to select the panel in an apparent attempt to have room for ‘kith and kin’ of the influentials, the State Government has added another criteria of holding interaction with the aspirants.
The decision, said to be taken under “pressure” of the higher ups, is aimed at judging the overall personality, especially inter-personal communication skills, of the aspiring candidates.
Former Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon’s son Dr Shiv Karan Singh Kahlon, who is also the Amritsar district health officer, and the daughter-in-law of state Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka Parampal Kaur, who is presently posted as additional Director General of School Education, are among the 26 Punjab Government officials eyeing the IAS post.
Besides the Chief Secretary, the screening committee comprises Principal Secretary (Home) DS Bains and Principal Secretary (Transport) Jagpal Singh Sandhu. After preparing the panel, the State Government will then send it to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), followed by interview of the five short-listed candidates.