VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the previous YSRCP administration in the State Legislative Assembly, alleging unprecedented irregularities, systemic compromise, and outright fraud in the APPSC Group-1 recruitment examinations conducted between 2019 and 2024.
Speaking during a special discussion under Rule 344 in the House on “Alleged irregularities in conducting examination, evaluation and selection of candidates in APPSC Group-1 recruitment”, the Chief Minister revealed that the selection process for the state’s top bureaucratic posts was severely compromised, with answer sheets allegedly evaluated by unverified private individuals, including electricians, plumbers, drivers, and daily-wage workers.
Addressing the Assembly, the Chief Minister pointed out that the APPSC, established under Article 315 of the Constitution to select key administrative officers, had its institutional credibility destroyed by the previous regime.
He criticised former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for failing to attend the House to address these serious charges, stating that those who committed systematic crimes while in power have a responsibility to face the public and answer to the Assembly rather than avoiding parliamentary accountability.
Naidu stressed that while even Class 10 answer scripts are transported under strict police escort, the previous government treated the answer scripts of state administrative candidates with shocking neglect.
Detailing the procedural and legal violations, the Chief Minister explained that following the 2018 Group-I notification, which drew 1.14 lakh applicants for 325 shortlisted positions, the recruitment process was marred by continuous rule violations.
Despite clear directions from the High Court to scrap digital valuation and conduct a proper manual evaluation, the previous administration submitted misleading affidavits to the court and rushed through interviews and job appointments.
Out of 158 panel members chosen for evaluation, 72 were assigned duties, of which 25 were unofficial appointments, along with another 66 unauthorised evaluators.
In an egregious violation of basic examination norms, an active candidate who appeared for the Group-I examination was himself appointed as an evaluation examiner.
Furthermore, physical answer scripts were illegally shifted out of the official APPSC strong room and kept at a private resort, Hailand, for 84 days, alleged the Chief Minister.
