From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Aug 8: A day after the State Cabinet’s decision to scrap the final list of recruitments to 362 gazetted officers by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) in 2011 following corruption charges and other malpractices, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defended the State Cabinet’s decision and ruled out reconsidering it.
The chief minister, who spoke to reporters in Bangalore on Friday, said the State Government has taken the decision based on consultations with the Legal Department and the opinion tendered by the Advocate General Ravivarma Kumar.
Siddaramaiah spoke to presspersons after paying floral tributes for former Chief Minister S Nijalingappa on his death anniversary observed in the State Secretariat.
The decision to reject the list was taken following rampant corruption in the selection of candidates by the KPSC, he said.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has conducted a probe and submitted a report highlighting malpractices in the examination system.
"We cannot dismiss the CID report nor condone the corruption or malpractices in the KPSC recruitment process," Siddaramaiah said.
He said the Government has decided not to support corruption in the recruitment of gazetted posts.
''We have to ensure justice to candidates who appeared for interviews but have not selected for the posts,” he said.
In fact, most of the selected candidates received similar marks in interviews conducted by the KPSC.
The Cabinet decision was backed up sufficient evidences about involvement of KPSC members in corruption in the recruitment, he said.
The Government would issue new advertisement to hold fresh examination.
Age relaxation would be extended to all 2011 candidates to reappear for the examination, he said.
JD(S) Backs the Aggrieved Candidates
Meanwhile, the former chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy expressed solidarity with protestors and said he would continue his dharna at the Freedom Park till Monday.
Kumarasway said he would decide the future course of action depending on the Government’s response.
If necessity, he would launch indefinite hunger strike, Kumaraswamy warned.
The JD(S) leader demanded immediate withdrawal of the Cabinet decision and argued that the candidates who appeared for the test and were selected based on their performance should not be penalised merely because KPSC authorities indulged in corruption and malpractices.
''The guilty must be punished but do not penalise the innocent persons," he said.