Assam Chief Minister Himanta Vishwa Sharma said on Saturday that the state government will turn to the Supreme Court against the Guwahati High Court’s decision, directing the Joint Competitive Examination conducted by the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) to reinstate 52 officers sacked in the cash scam in exchange for jobs.
Sharma termed this order of the High Court as “painful” at a time when the state government is ensuring recruitment only on the basis of merit. The High Court had issued an order to restore 52 out of 57 officers of 2013 and 2014 batch sacked in cash scam in the joint competitive examination conducted by APSC.
The court directed the state government to restore the dismissed officers who completed the probation period within a period of 50 days and also allowed the dismissed officers to not hand over any task and conduct departmental inquiry if needed.
During a conversation with reporters on the occasion of International Yoga Day celebrations in Baksa, Sharma said, “The bench’s decision on the APSC case is sad and this has disappointed us.”
He said that the court has given this order at a time when recruitment is being done on the basis of merit in the state only. Sharma said, “I have not seen the decision but what I have read in newspapers, if it is right then this (decision) is unfortunate.”
The Chief Minister said, “We will definitely appeal to the Supreme Court and try to ensure till the last moment that no person who gets a wrong job is restored.”
The scam related to giving money in exchange for jobs came to light in 2016 and the Assam Police arrested 70 people including former commission chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul, 57 civil service officers during the investigation.
