Surjewala cites news report, alleges nepotism in appointments at HAU

Chandigarh: Congress Rajya Sabha member Randeep Singh Surjewala on Tuesday cited a news report to claim that Haryana Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Baldev Raj Kamboj bypassed rules to appoint his wife as director of its Campus School and secured her undue financial benefits.

In a post on X, the senior Congress leader said that while qualified youths are waiting for recruitment opportunities, those in positions of power are turning public institutions into "family fiefdoms". "The HAU Vice-Chancellor bypassed all rules to appoint his own wife as Campus School Director, securing her undue financial benefits," Surjewala said in his post, which also included a clipping of the news report.

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Congress MP questions HAU VC's appointment process

He claimed that Kamboj made the appointment without inviting applications or issuing any public advertisement. He further alleged that a vacant public relations officer (PRO) post was redesignated to accommodate the appointment and that service rules were relaxed to extend the retirement age from 58 to 60 years.

Students protesting against the appointment were lathi-charged and action was initiated against them, Surjewala charged. Referring to a CAG audit and a divisional commissioner's inquiry, the Rajya Sabha MP claimed that the reports had exposed irregularities in the appointment process. Surjewala asked whether Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini will take action against Kamboj or will he allow the matter to be buried.