Arun Kumar Mehta said that now government jobs are only being given to deserving candidates.
Jammu and Kashmiri political parties on Friday demanded proof from the Union Territory’s Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta after he claimed that 2.5 lakh residents had been recruited through illegal methods for government jobs in the past.
At a public function in Kupwara district on Thursday, Mehta said that now only deserving candidates are being given the jobs, the Hindustan Times reported. “Now there are no more back-door appointments,” he added.
The official, however, did not name any person or political party responsible for illegal recruitments.
Mehta also said that now jobs are being given on merit to those deserving it. “Now there are no more back-door appointments,” he added.
His claim led to sharp reactions from political parties with People’s Democratic Party president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti demanding an inquiry.
Mufti asked why the chief secretary was not talking about the alleged scams under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s tenure. She pointed to irregularities in the Jal Shakti scheme raised by Ashok Parmar, an Indian Administrative Services officer of the principal secretary rank, in August.
Mufti also alleged that there were illegal transactions of Rs 100 crore in a hydropower project.
“This government is muddled in corruption and the ones suffering are the unemployed youth,” she alleged. “This is because of scams in recruitment and the case ends up in a court.”
Party spokesperson Mohit Bhan said: “To hide their own incompetence to conduct free and fair exams or giving relief to the aspirants, the administration is busy in mudslinging campaign.”
Peoples Conference General Secretary Imran Ansari said that Mehta was a part of the previous governments under different capacities and asked him to identify the “back door appointees