File Photo: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh with Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. (Press Trust of India)
Buckling under pressure of the opposition and a section of own party colleagues, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today announced setting up of an inquiry commission to probe alleged irregularities in state civil services examinations and recruitment.
"Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has issued order for instituting an inquiry commission to be headed by a retired judge to enquire into APSC-related allegations," an official release said tonight.
The Commission will be constituted under the provisions of the Commission of Inquiry Act, it added.
Alleged corruption in recruitment and examination of civil servants by Assam Public Service Commission has snowballed into a major controversy in the last few weeks with the opposition demanding a CBI probe into it.
Last week, senior Congress leader and former lawmaker Kirip Chaliha had said there is "serious corruption" in holding of the examination and demanded a probe by CBI into the alleged irregularities.
The Congress leader also supported Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader Akhil Gogoi's demand for a CBI probe. "We should support and accept the right thing even if it has come from the politically opposite quarter," Mr Chaliha said.
Akhil Gogoi, the Adviser of KMSS and Gana Mukti Sangram Samiti, had filed a PIL at the Gauhati High Court on behalf of the two organisations seeking a CBI probe into it.
The PIL is currently with the scrutiny committee and the Gauhati High Court is yet to register it. The PIL sought a CBI probe, mainly on the irregularities of the 2013 examinations and the role of APSC's present Chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul.
The application also requested the High Court to cancel the civil services examination of 2013 conducted by APSC and conduct fresh examinations.