Gujarat today ordered an inquiry into the allegations of irregularities in an online exam being held for the recruitment of engineers for the state-run Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation (GETCO).
The exam began today and will continue for the next three days.
The state government swung into action after the state AAP unit's youth wing leader Yuvrajsinh Jadeja alleged that some middlemen, in connivance with some government officials and a private agency which is conducting the online exam, are helping candidates clear the online exam for money.
Hours later, Gujarat Education Minister Jitu Vaghani told reporters in Gandhinagar that Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has ordered an inquiry into the allegations.
"Our government believes in transparency. Nearly 35,000 young aspirants are appearing in this online exam, which will continue for three more days. Our Chief Minister has ordered an inquiry into the allegations of irregularities. We will take strict action against the guilty," Mr Vaghani, who is also the state government's spokesperson, said.
The role of a Maharashtra-headquartered firm, which has been given the contract by GETCO to conduct the online recruitment test, is also in question. However, Jitu Vaghani defended it saying the same agency was hired earlier to recruit for Railway Police and also by some central PSUs.
The minister also said there was no immediate plan to cancel the online exam, which began on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Yuvrajsinh Jadeja held a press conference and alleged that some middlemen, mostly teachers of coaching classes, people working in the private firm and some officials, were involved in this "scam" of passing candidates.
The online test, which began at noon today, is being conducted at different centres across the state for the recruitment of 300 electrical engineers and 53 civil engineers, he said.
"The entire scam is being run by people based in the Bayad town of the Aravalli district. The candidates who have paid an advance will only pretend to appear in the exam, but will not answer any questions. Instead, people sitting in a control room will click on the answers for them," Mr Jadeja claimed.
"This agency's name was involved in a similar scam in the past as well. The middlemen usually charge Rs 20 lakh from each candidate and take Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh as advance. With the help of this agency and government officials, right answers are clicked on from the control room on behalf of the candidate," he alleged.
Notably, the state government had last month cancelled an exam conducted for the recruitment of head clerks after the police found substance in Mr Jadeja's allegation of the exam paper leak.
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