FCI officials face nepotism charges

CHENNAI, MAY 8: A major scandal involving the recruitment of 62 persons to vacancies in SC/ST category IV posts in the Food Corporation of I...

CHENNAI, MAY 8: A major scandal involving the recruitment of 62 persons to vacancies in SC/ST category IV posts in the Food Corporation of India FCI, Chennai, has come to light. Following this, 35 FCI officials are facing charges of nepotism. The officers were issued show-cause notices in February this year seeking clarification on the role played by them in the recruitment.

In December 1996, the FCI management launched a special drive to fill up reserved posts SC-22 posts and ST-40 posts lying vacant for the last few decades.

Accordingly, applications were invited and physical endurance tests held by the Tamil Nadu Amateur Athletic Association at Chennai and Coimbatore. Over 7,000 candidates sent in their applications. Personal interviews were also held by the authorities in the regional office. According to sources, only eight candidates qualified in both the endurance test and personal interviews. But 62 candidates were appointed.

It was alleged that several trade union leaders had used theirinfluence to secure jobs for their relatives. One union leader managed to push in his two daughters and two brothers-in-law. Another bagged a post for his brother-in-law.

Soon after the recruitment, several complaints were made by the unsuccessful candidates to the FCI headquarters in New Delhi following which a three-member team led by Deputy Manager Vigilance arrived here in December 1997, to conduct an inquiry.

Consequently, show cause notices were issued to 35 FCI employees, including top officials and typists among others. Several malpractices in the recruitment came to light and an explanation was sought. Sources said though it was mandatory for the candidates to submit their caste certificates, 10 persons were yet to submit them.

The investigating team has submitted that 8220;the role of various officers deployed for computerised evaluation of three events of physical endurance tests was found to be dubious and full of malafide intentions owing to grave irregularities noticed in the computerisedlist8221;.

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The memorandum submitted by Executive Director Vigilance R K Gupta has recorded the statement of D Sakthibalan, Assistant Manager Computer, FCI, about the discrepancies. Sakthibalan in his statement on October 15, 1997 said, 8220;I am shocked to note that some error in the command of long jump had been committed by allotting six marks for the performance of those who had not cleared the jump, while, according to instructions of Senior Regional Manager SRM, Chennai, such candidates must be marked zero. I agree with the vigilance squad that vital irregularities in the computer marking is due to some error in the command of the computer8221;.