Ranchi: State govt has set up a three-member high-level committee to review appointments and service conditions of officials in Jharkhand’s recruitment bodies and recommend examination reforms, even as the panel’s composition triggered a political row on Wednesday.Leader of opposition Babulal Marandi objected to the inclusion of finance secretary Prashant Kumar, who is also acting chairperson of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), alleging a conflict of interest.A notification issued late Tuesday said the committee, headed by the development commissioner, would examine the functioning of JSSC and Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and suggest measures to strengthen recruitment while protecting their constitutional and statutory autonomy. The personnel and finance secretaries are the other members.The move follows a 26-day agitation by JPSC-JSSC aspirants at Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium. Protesters sought cancellation of examinations they alleged were tainted, an overhaul of the recruitment system and a CBI probe into irregularities in tests, including the 14th JPSC civil services and JSSC Combined Graduate Level examinations.The govt had ordered a CID investigation into alleged irregularities in the 14th JPSC exam. The inquiry was later widened to cover other recruitment processes. Around 20 people have been arrested so far, including former JPSC chairperson L Khiangte, former deputy examination controller Shweta Gupta, officials associated with testing agency TCSDPL (TDPL), and several candidates.On Aug 18, govt scrapped 22 recruitment examinations and related selection processes and ordered probes into several others, citing concerns raised during the agitation. Jharkhand high court subsequently stayed parts of the cancellation orders where recruitment had been completed, but allowed investigations to continue.In a letter to chief minister Hemant Soren, Marandi said the JSSC-CGL examination was held during Kumar’s tenure as JSSC chairperson and later cancelled amid allegations of widespread irregularities.“Officials whose roles are under scrutiny should be subjected to an independent investigation rather than be entrusted with reforming the system. Kumar must be removed from the committee and put under inquiry for his role in agency selection, question paper security, examination conduct in JSSC-CGL examination,” he said.Marandi also demanded the removal of JSSC secretary Sudhir Gupta, who was recently questioned for hours by the CID.
