The appointment was done in two phases.
Details regarding the recruitments have been furnished in the records of the High Court. Under this, on 17th and 27th September 2020, Uttar Pradesh Council Secretariat advertised for 99 vacancies. The initial exam was held on 22 November 2020 and re-exam was held for Gorakhpur on 29 November due to local dispute. The main exam was held on 27th and 30th December 2020. The result of this exam is out on 11 March 2021.
UP Assembly Secretariat has advertised for 87 vacancies in December 2020. The preliminary examination was conducted on 24 January 2021. The main exam was conducted on 27 February 2021 and the typing test was conducted on 14 March 2021. The result of this exam was released on 26 March 2021. About 2.5 lakh candidates appeared in these exams.
A question was raised on the recruitment agency.
Court records show that the assembly recruitment contract was awarded to Broadcasting Engineering and Consultancy Services (BECIL). It is a central public sector enterprise under the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. BECIL hired TSR data processing services. BECIL senior manager Avinash Khanna said, “We have entered into an agreement with the assembly secretariat and we have taken it forward.” We cannot say anything more at this time as the matter is under hearing.
Sources confirmed that the council has entrusted its recruitment task to Rabhu. However, the secretariat did not disclose the name of the firm in the court citing the confidentiality of the examination process. Another petitioner, Vipan Kumar Singh, submitted an alleged list of people selected for Assembly Secretariat in the High Court. Vipan was also a failed candidate.
Citing OMR answer sheets and typing sheets obtained from his sources, Vipan Kumar Singh alleged that the qualifying marks were rigged. He told the court that the results were not announced openly to the public. Neither the result date nor the list of candidates was disclosed.
The Assembly Secretariat told the High Court that the final result has been uploaded on the official website of the respondents uplegiassemblyrecruitment.in. The final list of Assistant Review Officer posts is pasted on the notice board of the Assembly Secretariat Office.
Cases under investigation
Checked records by Indian Express. Interviewed these people. who were involved in identifying the 38 candidates selected for the two secretariats belonging to officers and politicians. Former UP Assembly Speaker HN Dixit’s PRO has been appointed to the new post of Special Executive Officer (Publication) in the Legislative Council. In this regard HN Dixit said that he was with me and later he was appointed in the Council (Secretariat). I had no role in it.
The PRO’s brother was also elected to the post of Review Officer (RO) in the Assembly. In this regard, HN Dixit said that I do not know this person. Asked about the recruitment done under his watch, former BJP MLA and Assembly Speaker from 2017-2022 HN Dixit said it was done by an agency approved by us. However, my role was limited and the matter is now in court. None of my close relatives have been appointed to any post.
Appointment of relatives of officers
Son and daughter of Jay Prakash Singh, Principal Secretary, UP Parliamentary Affairs Department, were posted as RO, Assembly. In this regard, Jaiprakash Singh said that he has been selected on the basis of merit. I don’t want to say more than that. Four relatives of Principal Secretary, Assembly Pradeep Dubey were also appointed. Two of his relatives (cousins’ sons) were appointed RO and ARO, Assembly and two other relatives (cousins and maternal uncle’s sons) were appointed RO, Council. Regarding this, Pradeep Dubey said that this matter is now in the Supreme Court, it would not be appropriate for me to discuss it.
Legislative Council Principal Secretary Dr. Rajesh Singh’s son got appointment as RO, Assembly. In this regard, Rajesh Singh says that Dubeyji has spoken to you. I don’t want to say anything. Along with this, former minister Mahendra Singh’s nephew was appointed as Assistant Review Officer (ARO) of the Legislative Council. Mahendra Singh was a minister of state from 2017 to 2019 and a cabinet minister in the BJP government from 2019 to 2022. He could not be reached for comment. A family member of his said that he had nothing to do with the selection process.
Dinesh Kumar Singh, former Principal Secretary of UP Law Department and son of Deputy Lokayukta, was appointed to the post of RO Assembly. The son was later selected as a judge in lower courts under the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) category. Dinesh Kumar Singh said in this regard that I have no role in his appointment (in the Assembly Secretariat). He said that now he is a judicial officer.
Ajay Kumar Singh, son of former OSD of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Yogi Adityanath, has been appointed as Review Officer (RO) Assembly. Ajay Kumar Singh did not comment in this regard. The son and brother of Dharminder Singh, Additional Private Secretary of the Legislative Council, was appointed as Assembly ARO. He has worked with former minister and SP leader Shivpal Yadav. In this case, Dharminder Singh said that he has passed the exam.
The nephew of former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s close aide Jinendra Singh Yadav alias Neetu Yadav has been appointed to the post of RO Assembly. Neetu Yadav did not respond to requests for comment on the matter. Those selected include relatives of the owners of two recruitment firms. Rabhao owner Ram Parvesh Yadav’s wife has also been appointed. Ramparvesh Yadav’s father is the brother of Shambhu Singh Yadav, a former IAS officer who recently retired from the post of Deputy Lokayukta.
Ram Parvesh’s wife has been appointed as RO Council. Shambhu Singh Yadav said that I do not know anything about this. TSR Data Processing Director Rambir Singh’s nephew, niece and brother-in-law have been posted as ARO, Assembly. TSR Data Processing Director Satya Pal Singh’s brother has been posted as ARO, Assembly. Rambir, Satyapal and Ramparvesh Yadav did not respond to repeated requests.
High Court’s harsh comment
Several petitions were filed in the Allahabad High Court in the matter of UP Assembly Recruitment 2021. On September 18, 2023, it consolidated both the petitions and ordered the case to be converted into a PIL and a CBI probe. A two-judge bench criticized the manner in which external agencies were involved. High court records show that the owners of the two private firms have already been sent to jail for alleged rigging in another recruitment. They are on bail as the case is still pending.
The High Court made a strong comment referring to the amendment of the rules. This led to the scandal that till 2016, recruitment for the secretariat was done by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission. When the Assembly amended the Rules. In 2019, the council decided to run it themselves. At the time of the amendment of the rules, the president of the council, former SP MLC Ramesh Yadav, did not comment saying that he was not in good health.
During the hearing of this matter, the High Court said that it was surprising to see why the rules were amended. The decision to move the examination agency to an external agency while ignoring the rules laid down by the selection committee was shocking. The court said that the process of identifying external agencies is suspicious.
The court said that we have found some clear particulars which prima facie satisfy the court for a preliminary inquiry by a neutral agency as to the identity of the external agency in the present case. He has been entrusted with the task of public service recruitment. The court said that in our view, the standard of justice cannot be compromised.
A hearing was held in court.
On October 3, 2023, the High Court dismissed the review petition filed by the Legislative Council. The Court held that after perusal of the original record, this Court has itself recorded its prima facie satisfaction on the substance of the allegations made and need not go further. Especially when the court has found from the entire spectrum of facts that this recruitment is nothing less than a scam. Hundreds of illegal and illegal recruitments have been done by an external agency with little reputation.
Meanwhile, the CBI registered a preliminary investigation (PE) and seized some records related to the recruitment. The Supreme Court did not issue an injunction on October 13, 2023. Sources claim that the council entrusted its recruitment task to Rabhu. However, the secretariat did not disclose the name of the firm in the court citing the confidentiality of the examination process.
