JOA Recruitment: Himachal Pradesh vigilance bureau finds irregularities in conduct of more exams

HAMIRPUR : The state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau SIT probing the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission (HPSSC) paper leak case has found irregularities in the conduct of two more exams held for hiring junior civil engineers and junior office assistants (JOAs), officials said on Wednesday. The special investigation team confirmed rigging in both these exams and said a separate FIR would be filed following the new findings.

So far, four FIRs have been registered in connection with irregularities in the conduct of five different recruitment exams — Post Code 965 (JOA IT), Post Code 939 (JOA IT-2), Post Code 1003 (Computer Operator), Post Code 1036 (Junior Auditor) and Post Code 980 (Art Teacher), said a vigilance bureau spokesperson.

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The vigilance bureau has booked HPSSC senior assistant Uma Azad and 13 others in connection with the paper leak cases. Azad, the main accused, was caught red-handed with a solved question paper of JOA (IT) exam held on December 23 last year and cash amounting to Rs 2.5 lakh, besides a laptop computer and other documents. DIG (Vigilance) G Shiva Kumar said no accused involved in all these cases will be spared. He said the bureau has enough evidence against the accused.

The state government had suspended the functioning of the HPSSC following the paper leak episode and postponed all the exams. Forensic experts examining the electronic devices recovered by the vigilance department sleuths in connection with the cases had found question papers, details of financial transactions, audio recordings and chats which indicated that papers were leaked in the past as well.

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Meanwhile, raising slogans for restoration of the HPSSC, about 150 JOA (IT) candidates started a foot March from Hamirpur on Wednesday. They intend to meet CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to Shimla on March 18. The condition of the unemployed youth in Himachal Pradesh is going from bad to worse, said one of the candidates, Neeraj Thakur. He said they will present their point of view before the Himachal Pradesh CM. In case, the government does not listen to them, they would move to New Delhi to meet the prime minister, he added. The candidates also demanded that the results of exams held in the past be declared.