Chhattisgarh cabinet decides to recommend CBI probe into ‘irregularities’ in PSC recruitment

The Chhattisgarh cabinet on Wednesday decided to recommend a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the state Public Service Commission examination-2021, an issue cited by top BJP leaders to target the Congress ahead of the assembly polls.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai at the Mantralaya here.

In the interest of the youth, the state government has decided to hand over the case of complaints related to irregularities in the CGPSC examination-2021 recruitment to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a detailed probe, Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao told reporters after the meeting.

The CGPSC, under its examination 2021, had released a selection list for 170 posts in 12 different state government departments.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other top BJP leaders during electioneering for the recently held assembly polls had targeted the previous Congress government over the alleged scam in CGPSC recruitment and promised to get it probed if the saffron party came to power.

The party has also promised that transparency will be maintained in the PSC examination in the state and CGPSC examinations will be conducted on the lines of the UPSC, which conducts examinations for appointment to various services of the Centre.

Former BJP MLA Nakiram Kawnar had filed a petition last year in the Chhattisgarh High Court seeking a directive for a fair and impartial investigation in respect of the CGPSC exam 2021 by an independent agency, preferably the CBI.

In September 2023, the HC directed the state government to verify the allegations made in a petition that 18 candidates selected in the CGPSC examination 2021 were relatives of the commission's officer-bearers, high-ranking government officials, politicians and big businessmen.

As per the petition, 171 posts for 20 categories of services were advertised by CGPSC in 2021. Then the preliminary examination was held on February 13, 2022, while the mains exam was held on 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th May that year. The results were later declared and 509 candidates were selected for interviews, which were held from September 20 to September 30, 2022.

The list of selected candidates for 170 posts was issued on May 11 last year.

The petition had claimed that the result of the CGPSC Exam 2021 disclosed that relatives of the then CGPSC officer-bearers and relatives of influential politicians, bureaucrats, and industrialists were selected on account of corruption, favouritism, etc.

The previous Congress government had then said in a statement that the matter would be thoroughly investigated and based on its outcome, a response would be submitted to the HC.