Legislative Assembly is the place where laws are enacted. The executive implements these laws and the judiciary keeps a watch over the enforcement of the laws thus enacted. Thus we find that legislature is the basis on which entire structure of democracy rests. Quite naturally, people expect the legislature to be the fountain head of justice and the rights of all citizens irrespective of cast, creed and colour.
But if the very props and pillars of democratic structure violate, distort or subvert the laws, what should we think about it? This has actually happened and the State Vigilance Organization has uncovered an almost scandalous case of at least five past Speakers of the Legislative Assembly having recruited many candidates in different services, mostly Class IV, in the Assembly Secretariat. In doing so, they never followed the normal procedures of recruitment, viz. advertising the vacancies, inviting applications, scrutinizing these, inviting the short listed candidates for an interview with constitutional body and thereafter making the final selection. None of these procedures have been observed and only backdoor recruitment has been made thereby denying the more deserving candidates the opportunity of getting employment. These Speakers seem to have taken shelter behind the non-existence of rules of recruitment in the books of Legislative Assembly. Though way back in 2001 draft rules and regulations were drawn and sent to the Government for a final decision, so far no rules have been framed. In all probability not framing the rules has been the policy of the Government otherwise there is no sense in allowing the files to collect dust for last fifteen years.
Why did not these Speakers simply follow the norms set forth for recruitment to Government services? Why should they ask for a different set of rules for the Legislative Assembly? We expected that once new posts were sanctioned by the Government, the Legislative Assembly Secretariat would adopt the established norms of recruitment. But it did not and arbitrarily issued orders of recruitment. The SVO has taken it up, and now it will be up to a court of law to decide the fate of the incumbents. Justice has to be done to the deserving and meritorious candidates.
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