Screening committee recuses itself after questions raised on credibility

CHANDIGARH: The screening committee formed to look into the entitlement of ‘Grade A’ sports gradation awarded to international shooter Vishwajeet Singh by his father Jagdeep Singh, the then Haryana director sports, has recused itself after the questions were raised on its credibility.

The panel comprising HPSC deputy secretary Praduman Singh, director sports Bhupinder Singh and outgoing principal secretary (sports) Anand

Mohan Sharan had written to Haryana chief secretary on January 22 and requested the government to form a new committee to look into the matter.

Vishwajeet has been recently selected in the Haryana Civil Service (executive cadre) under the eligible sportsperson category. ‘Grade A’ certificate made him eligible for the job.

“In view of the aspersion made on the credibility of the committee as appearing in newspaper reports, the committee requests the government to form a new committee in the matter (sic),” the letter stated.

On January 16, Haryana IAS officer Ashok Khemka had written to Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, questioning the constitution of probe panel to look into the certificate issued to former Haryana sports director’s son.

PANEL’S OBSERVATION

The panel, however, also submitted the minutes of the meeting with the chief secretary on January 22.

The committee members mentioned that the sports department had written to the national sports federation concerned (National Rifle Association of India in the case of shooting) for the verification of the sports achievement certificate of the candidate concerned.

But, there was no mention of the reply of the sports federation.

The committee had also mentioned about the factual report (dated January 9, 2020) based on the official records of the sports department and as per that record, Vishwajeet had got the ‘Grade A’ on the basis of his team silver in the 25m pistol event at the ISSF Junior Cup held in Germany in 2014.