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CVC orders probe against NHAI officials in appointment fraud…..Nidhi Sharma
Vigilance Body Finds Lapses In Filling 150 Highway Vacancies THE Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to take action against top-ranking officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI),involved in questionable appointments.The The Commission has discovered serious lapses in the appointment process to fill 150 vacancies of deputy secretary-level posts.
The entire selection process for the post of deputy general manager (technical),done in 2010,is under a cloud.The CVC has written to the ministry and advised it to take action against all responsible officers.Sources said the ministry could even consider scrapping the process,in which at least 50 officers from other state PWD had been selected.As first reported in ET on January 3,an internal vigilance inquiry conducted by NHAI Chief Vigilance Officer Aloke Prasad had revealed that candidates who had
not appeared for interviews were selected.
Based on Prasads report and CVC comments,the ministry is mulling action against four top officials of NHAIs administration department that conducted the appointment process.The role of selection and secreening committee is also being probed.Sources said CVC had made some serious observations about the selection committee,which was formed under the then NHAI chairman Brijeshwar Singh.It comprised member (administration) Rajiv Yadav,then member (projects ) SI Patel,GM (technical) MPS Rana and Chief Engineer KC Verkayachan,a ministry representative.NHAI had advertised to recruit 87 people (subject to change) for the deputy secretary-level post in January,2010,with February 10 being the last date for receiving applications.A screening committee finalised a list of 147 provisionally eligible candidates who were called for interviews from March 16 to 18.The selection committee,under Brijeshwar Singh,interviewed and selected the candidates.
The vigilance report has taken the case of SS Selvaraj from Tamil Nadu,a selected candidate who has got an appointment letter too.But he never appeared for the interview.The Commission has taken a grim view of the fact that a member of the selection committee has given Selvaraj 20 marks for professional competence.
Many officers were late in sending their applications but they were still considered.Another officer,who had to rush back to his hometown after receiving the news of his fathers death,could not appear for the interview but was still selected.What has made the case against the members of the Brijeshwar Singh-led selection committee strong is that three members did not give marks to all the candidates,but have signed on the final list of selected candidates.The indicates that there could have been many candidates whose names could have been added later in the list. ROAD TO CORRUPTION
Under Cloud
* The entire selection process for the post of deputy general manager (technical),done in 2010,is under a cloud
* The role of selection and secreening committee is also being probed
* The vigilance report has taken the case of SS Selvaraj from Tamil Nadu,a selected candidate who has got an appointment letter too.But he never appeared for the interview
* Many officers were late in sending their applications but they were still considered
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