The state government is considering a probe by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) into the reported cash-for-posts scam of the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC).
KPSC members are accused of asking for bribes in various forms to give good marks to candidates in selection interviews for the posts of probationary gazetted officers.
CM Siddaramaiah, who had informed the Legislative Council that an inquiry would be ordered, is likely to make a formal announcement about giving it to the CID in a day or two. It is said that the CM was earlier mulling handing over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as the KPSC is a statutory body.
“But considering the time that the CBI takes to investigate, the CM decided to go for the CID probe. He has set a three week time-frame to complete the investigation,” a source said.
During a debate on the recruitment scam in the Legislative Assembly on Monday, Siddaramaiah, accepting Opposition Leader H D Kumaraswamy’s suggestion, said: “Allotment of marks in the interview is predetermined as marks of the main exam are announced before the oral exams. This had led to manipulation of results. To avoid this, we will bring in UPSC model where marks scored by candidates in the main exam are revealed only after the interview and along with the final list of appointments.”
Informing the House that the government is committed to restore the KPSC’s dignity, the CM said that the government cannot be a mute spectator to ‘whatever the members do just because they are an autonomous body.’
Kumaraswamy said appointments to the 362 posts that are in contention should be scrapped rather than just put on hold. He demanded the arrest of people who have been qualified to get a job without attending written exam. “How can this be allowed? If this is true, why is the government not taking steps to arrest him?” he asked. Former CM B S Yeddyurappa wondered why no action was against any member or all those involved in the recruitment scam.
“I came with the complaint of Dr Mytri who topped the exams under ST quota, but was denied an assistant commissioner’s post because she couldn’t give the alleged `70 lakh demanded by one KPSC member. The job went to another person who scored low marks in written exam,” he said.
