Paswan derails norms for loyal staff

NEW DELHI, January 3: Throwing Railway recruitment norms out of the window and ignoring an estimated 35,000 applications, Union Railway Mini...

NEW DELHI, January 3: Throwing Railway recruitment norms out of the window and ignoring an estimated 35,000 applications, Union Railway Minister Ram Vilas Paswan arranged for an exclusive written test and viva voce for nine "temporary employees". One of them couldn’t take the exam, eight were "regularised" as commercial clerks on December 12.

Look at the unusual swiftness’ in rushing through with this process:

October 24, 1997: Deputy Chief Personnel Officer Dharam Singh sends a letter to Northern Railways asking it to conduct an exam for nine candidates for the post of Commercial Clerks as a "one-time exception" on November 21. In his letter, Singh says that he has been directed by the Railway Board to do so.

Incidentally, this is in violation of Railway Recruitment Board norms since no advertisement was issued. At least 35,000 applications are pending with the RRB for these posts.

One week later, Singh sends another letter advancing the date of the exam to November 10.

His reason: "the urgency of the issue". He also sends the list of nine names, which include six SC and one OBC candidate. Sources say the date was advanced when the UF government’s future looked uncertain.

November 7: Northern Railways confirms that the exam will be held. The letter says: "The CPO (Chief Personnel Officer) mentioned that a number of telephones have been received from PS (private secretary) to MR (Minister of Railways) to ensure holding of the written test."

The minimum score for passing the exam was set at 30 out of 100, a task made easier for the six backward-caste candidates for whom it was reduced to 20.

On November 10, the exam is held. One candidate Ahmed Sheraji Siddiqui could not take the exam as he could not be informed about the change in schedule. He has requested the Ministry to hold another exam for him. His request is pending.

The eight candidates were called for a viva voce on November 28, but the Chairman of the Railway Recruitment Board (Chandigarh), Brigadier Harjeet Singh, who was heading a five-member interview committee, sent them back saying they needed to take a "screening test" which includes typing skills.

And on December 4, the eight candidates were cleared for "regularisation" in the Railway services.

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Chief Personnel Officer A P Nagarath, whose department helped in conducting the exam, told The Indian Express that all eight employees had been declared "successful" for the post of permanent commercial clerks.

When asked why a "one-time exception" was made, he said: "Normally, these recruitments are done through the RRB and are advertized. In this case, this wasn’t done."

The eight employees are: Yogender Paswan, Jatinder Kaur, Rajinder Kaur, Sriman Narain Singh, Prem Sagar, Naresh Kataria and Davinder Singh and Pratima Misra. Sources said that most of these candidates were Paswan’s personal staff — working at his office and residence — but were shown working with Delhi, Ambala, Firozpur and Allahabad divisions for the past two years.