We have a glaring example in our state of how the Government has given preference to party and narrow individual interests over the broad interests of the people in general. The Finance Minister, has admitted in his written reply to a question from an independent member in the assembly that during past four years the Government had made 7893 “backdoor appointments” in 10 Departments. These included consolidated, daily wagers, need-based, contingent and local fund paid appointments. Obviously, rules and regulations governing recruitment to vacancies were not followed by the appointing authority. In other words, it was an arbitrary and personal decision of the appointing authority, which creates the impression that the ruling coalition has made the Government something like a private property which it can use or misuse according to its sweet will. Several questions arise. Were these backdoor appointments made by way of helping favoured persons and families? Recruitment in various services is a regular phenomenon of running the state administration. But there are elaborate rules, regulations and procedural guidelines laid down in service regulatory which the recruiting authority is bound to observe. In a just and equitable state, the principle governing recruitment is that the most meritorious and most capable persons have to be selected for recruitment through a regulated system called competitive examination. This has been devised to allow fair chance to deserving candidates and eliminating the factor of injustice. In the case of the backdoor appointments under discussion, greatest injustice has been done to the most deserving candidates by not denying them the opportunity of competing for recruitment. This is violation of the constitution which guarantees the right of people to equal opportunity of development.
Cutting across party affiliations, MLAs have staged strong protest against the policy of rank favouritism adopted by the ruling coalition. Even a number of members of treasury benches, too, have expressed their disapproval of backdoor appointments stated by the Government in the assembly. This, in other words, indicates that the appointing authorities/ministers have tried to carve out vote bank for themselves in impending assembly and parliamentary elections in 2014 not through any sustained personal effort but by bestowing benefactions stolen from public money.
We know that in running the administration, sometimes exigencies arise that have to be addressed on war footing. Sometimes it does become unavoidable for the Government to make quick recruitments for specific tasks. Functioning of the Government and particularly making progress in a given project of critical importance to the society cannot wait to go through long process of recruitment. As such, the authority on spot has to take a decision. This all is understandable. But then, the basic principle of selection of the most meritorious recruit cannot be denied or circumvented. People have to be given equitable justice and opportunity for progress.
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