APSC cash-for-job scam: 39 officers dismissed, 18 accused challenge inquiry report

Guwahati, March 4: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma yesterday asserted that the government remains committed to taking the APSC cash-for-job scam case to its logical conclusion, dismissing 39 officers so far and proceeding against more accused. Addressing the State Assembly, he ruled out the possibility of scrapping the entire 2013 and 2014 Combined Competitive Examinations (CCE), stating that "no rule in the world" allows for such an action.

Sarma cited the findings of the Justice (retd) B.K. Sharma Commission and recommendations from legal experts, stressing that a blanket cancellation would be legally unsustainable. “If the government issues such an order, the next day it will be stayed by the court,” he said, adding that action can only be taken against those with concrete evidence of wrongdoing.

Responding to opposition criticism that some guilty candidates were still serving in government positions, Sarma highlighted that the commission found some officers would have cleared the exam even without manipulation. However, he assured that each guilty candidate was being dealt with individually. “For the first time, 39 officers were dismissed from service without even drawing departmental proceedings, and the High Court upheld it because they were probationers,” he said.

The Chief Minister also took a strong stand against a recent Gauhati High Court order that stayed departmental proceedings against 18 accused officers. He questioned the urgency with which the court handled the case and criticised the government’s failure to submit an affidavit in opposition despite being given five separate dates.

“Just see the dates given by the bench for submitting the affidavit. A sizable time was provided, yet the urgency was unusual. In some cases, affidavits are not called for even three years,” Sarma pointed out. He also questioned why the case of Priyanka Deka, one of the nine petitioners, appeared repeatedly in the cause list.

Sarma stated that the High Court could have summoned the Chief Secretary and questioned the delay in submitting the affidavit before passing the order. “When it comes to public employment, the court should have waited until the inquiry report was tabled in the Assembly,” he said.

Despite the court’s stay order, Sarma assured the Assembly that the government had not reinstated the 18 accused officers and had appealed the judgment. “We won’t reinstate them and will wait for the Supreme Court’s decision,” he asserted.

Focusing his government’s commitment to ensuring justice, Sarma said, “The fact that I have the courage to criticise a judgment shows my dedication to taking this case to its logical conclusion.”

The discussion was initiated by MLA Manab Deka, with opposition members including CPI (M)'s Manoranjan Talukdar, AIUDF’s Aminul Islam, Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi, and Congress' Debabrata Saikia accusing the government of shielding some guilty candidates. Akhil Gogoi alleged that the probe itself was a scam and demanded the cancellation of both CCE 2013 and 2014.

While the opposition criticised the government’s approach, Sarma reiterated that legal procedures must be followed to ensure that guilty officers do not escape justice due to procedural lapses. He assured that action was being taken against each accused based on evidence, and an action-taken report would be submitted in due course.