Congress targets Shivraj, says CM tweaked PSC rules to appoint niece as dy collector

BHOPAL: Forty-eight hours after dragging chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's wife, Sadhna Singh, into the MPPEB scam, Congress dropped another bombshell at the CM's door, accusing him of direct involvement in the state public service commission scam. The fast-paced development came even as the state government was scurrying to file a defamation case against Congressmen for their allegations on Saturday.
Congress leader of Opposition Satyadev Katare summoned a press conference on Tuesday and alleged that Chouhan had altered state's Public Service Commission rules to appoint his niece, Ritu Chouhan, as deputy collector.
"This time, we are not accusing the chief minister's wife, but Shivraj Singh Chouhan himself for irregularities. He has to resign and if he doesn't then the governor should ask for his resignation," Katare said.
Congress alleged that in 2008, there were 12 posts for deputy collectors in which five were reserved for general category, two for OBCs, four for SC and one for ST. Of these, there was one seat reserved for women candidates from the general and SC category each. But this clause was tweaked to make place for Ritu Chouhan, Congress said.
"Six candidates were selected from general category, three from OBC and it is not known whether SC or ST candidates were picked," Katare alleged.
"Ritu Chouhan stood seventh in the PSC merit list even though she didn't have requisite marks. She was accommodated under women's reserved quota. It was only to make place for Ritu that the sixth candidate from general category had to be accommodated. Another OBC woman candidate, Teena Yadav, had to be adjusted in the Scheduled Caste slot."
Many candidates who did not get selected filed petitions under RTI Act to take out details of this examination and appointments. "As RTI applications multiplied, the chief minister ordered a change in PSC records maintenance period to wipe out evidence on the favour bestowed on Ritu Chouhan," Katare said.
By a rule of 1999, PSC records in the state are to be maintained for two years. "But on August 27, 2012 the chief minister ordered records should no longer be kept more than one year. By another order the same year, the record maintenance time was reduced to three years. Public Service Commission comes under the general administration department which has always remained under the chief minister," Congress leader said. "Under RTI Act, it is necessary to maintain government records for 20 years. Even Congress has asked for details of Ritu Chouhan's appointment, including her answer sheet. But the state government has not answered any of RTI applications."
Congress alleged the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission is a hub of corruption. Katare displayed answersheets when for similar answers, one student gets three marks while another gets a zero. "The entire corruption game is being played in collaboration with certain coaching institutions. Institutions in touch with PSC officials are told which book to prescribe for students. Is it not strange that 75 to 80 questions are taken from one particular book that certain coaching institutions prescribe," Katare asked. Congress also paraded students who related experiences of how they secured more marks than those who got selected.