Ten arrested in recruitment scam in Assam

Ten people, including a senior officer, have been arrested in connection with an alleged recruitment scam in Assam Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (APDCL), a police official said on Saturday.

As per information bribes ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh were demanded from candidates to get them through the written examination process, the official said.

Among those arrested in connection with the scam is the officer on special duty to the chairman of APDCL, said Rosy Kalita, the superintendent of police in the CM’s special vigilance cell.

With the unearthing of the alleged scam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday recommended to the APDCL authorities to scrap the examination and begin anew the recruitment process.

The alleged scam took place in respect to examinations held for the posts of the office-cum-field assistant, sahayak and light vehicle driver of APDCL which were conducted in February and March in 2019.

The ten people were arrested in simultaneous raids by five teams of the CM’s special vigilance cell with the help of Guwahati Police on Friday. "Further investigation is on in the case,” Kalita said.

Investigation into the alleged scam had begun after information on the scam was received from the chief minister’s secretariat on September 15. A case was registered on September 24 upon completion of inquiry.

Besides recommending to begin anew the recruitment process, candidates who were involved in the scam will also be made answerable, Sarma said.

More cases may be unearthed in a month or two, he said and hinted that the government has reports of such scams in the recruitment processes of other departments too.

“By the next six months, we have to put the process (of recruitment) in order if we want to conduct recruitment for one lakh jobs smoothly,” he said.

The BJP-led government in Assam has announced recruitment of one lakh youths in government jobs. Different departments have already been tasked with preparing lists of vacancies and new posts needed.