In what can be termed as a fire fighting step in the aftermath of the disclosure that son of the speaker of the U’khand assembly got a job in Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan in gross violation of norms, the Speaker Premchand Agarwal announced on Monday that his son has already tendered his resignation from the job. Addressing a presser at his residence on the day Agarwal said that his son is an educated and cultured adult and has every authority to apply for job suitable to his qualification. He said that the job his son got was for a period of 11 months only and was contractual in nature. The Speaker said that it is a common knowledge that the sons and daughters of politicians don’t work on contractual posts which have meager salary. They engage in activities like mining and take mega contracts, he added. Agarwal further said that his image was tarnished by some newspapers which carried the news of appointment of his son without getting his version. On a somber note the speaker said that no allegations were leveled against him in 38 years of his political career which included a span of 15 years as legislature. He said that his son got a job on contract because he has never used his influence. The Speaker said that his son Piyush Agarwal had resigned from the job on Saturday afternoon and the issue should be considered close now.
The son of Speaker was appointed on the post of Assistant Engineer (AE) in Jal Sansthan from Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam limited (UPNl) under which only retried armed forces personnel and their son or daughters are appointed on contract. It was alleged that no advertisement was released by UPNl for the post in which son of the speaker was appointed. The purpose of creation of UPNl was to provide employment to the retired armed forces personnel and their kin and it is a common knowledge that the Speaker has not served in army.