Other States - Himachal Pradesh   

CBI probe sought into `appointments on chit' scam

Staff Correspondent

Vigilance probe will not do, says Rajya Sabha MP

SHIMLA: The Himachal unit BJP president and Rajya Sabha member Suresh Bhardwaj has demanded a comprehensive CBI probe into the "appointments on chits" scam instead of a vigilance enquiry.

A Division Bench of the Himachal High Court on Monday had directed the State Vigilance Department to register a case in connection with the appointments made during the previous Virbhadra Singh regime from 1993 to 1998.

The interim directions were issued in a PIL filed by the former chairman of the State Services Selections Board, Surendra Mohan Katwal, contending that the appointments were made on "chits" without following any rules or procedures.

The BJP president maintained here on Tuesday that since the Vigilance and Home Departments are under the Chief Minister a little justice and investigations are expected in the irregularities committed during the appointments made in the last regime of Mr. Virbhadra Singh.

The two administrative committees constituted to probe the illegal appointments during the BJP rule had pointed out gross irregularities and political involvement of the then government, he said.

On asked as to why the actions were not taken against those political favourites and erring officials during the BJP rule Mr. Bhardwaj said though a massive bungling was committed by Mr. Singh's government the BJP government did not want to indulge in a "political vendetta" and therefore let those back door entrants to continue service in various government departments.

He said the BJP had promised to expose the Congress misdeeds in its election manifesto and now the same has been endorsed by the court. The party chief while calling the Congress a "Gangotri of corruption" demanded that action should be taken against the Chief Minister like Mr. Natwar Singh in the Centre in the controversial Volcker report. He said an FIR should be lodged against the people involved in the recruitment scam.

Mr. Bhardwaj said the main person involved as the `non-contractual beneficiary' in the Volcker's report is very closely related to a senior Congressman from Himachal. Mr. Natwar Singh's son Jagat Singh was also involved in a firing incident in Manali sometime back, he said. "Congress and corruption have become synonymous now", he declared.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

CBI probe sought into `appointments on chit' scam

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu