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Badal demands clarification on PCS selections

By Our Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, MARCH 6: The Shiromani Akali Dal president, Parkash Singh Badal, today castigated the Punjab Government, especially the Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, for nominating to the Punjab Civil Services (PCS) individuals whom it had pronounced guilty of paying lakhs of rupees to the former Punjab Public Services Commission (PPSC) chairman, Ravi Sidhu.

Through a statement issued by the party's media office, Mr. Badal dared the Chief Minister to prove his anti-corruption credentials by moving to secure the arrest of the PPSC chairman for making these appointments. "Amarinder would do nothing of the kind; since those appointed have been nominated by his own government,'' he said.

Terming it as one of the greatest ironies of modern times, Mr. Badal pointed out that Capt. Amarinder Singh's government has nominated to the PPSC candidates which this government had itself held guilty in the "cash for job scandal''. An even greater irony is that the same candidates have been selected by the Commission under a new chairman appointed by Amarinder Singh. "This is the true face of the Chief Minister's hypocrisy on corruption,'' said Mr. Badal holding Capt. Amarinder Singh personally responsible for the new scandal.

"The latest scam has ripped apart the fig-leaf of his anti-corruption and established beyond any doubt that the Chief Minister's Office in Chandigarh had become a den of corruption," the Akali chief added.

Quoting a report in a section of the regional media, Mr. Badal charged that the sister-in-law of a Congress MP had been taken into the PCS despite clear indictment in various corruption cases. He recalled that the Chief Minister had touted similar names as "examples of his anti-corruption drive'' at a press conference in Chandigarh immediately after the PPSC job scam had come to light early in 2002.

The Akali chief said that both Ravi Sidhu, who was indicted by the Chief Minister in the job-for-cash scam, and the recently retired PPSC Chairman, Surjit Singh Sangra, under whose supervision the present appointments had been made, were the appointees of Congress governments.

"Lt. Gen. Sangra in fact was Capt. Amarinder Singh's personal choice. Would he be held accountable for giving jobs to those already in the dock in the PPSC scandal,'' he asked.

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