Ex-cop, IAS officer, CM’s biographer shortlisted for PPSC, info panel posts

CHANDIGARH: A retired police officer, a bureaucrat, a Congress leader and the chief minister’s biographer are learnt to be among the persons shortlisted by the Punjab government for appointment in the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) and the State Information Commission (SIC).

Retired IPS officer Lok Nath Angra and IAS officer APS Virk and techie Sukhpreet Ghuman are among those shortlisted for six vacant posts of members of PPSC. Angra, who belonged to the 1996 batch, retired as inspector general of police (IGP) in August 2017.

Virk is a serving bureaucrat. He will attain the age of superannuation in April this year. Ghuman has been shortlisted from among non-officials.

Khushwant Singh, a former journalist who had written chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s authorised biography “The People’s Maharaja” last year and Sanjeev Garg, a Congress leader, have been shortlisted by the government for appointment as information commissioners in the state.

Though officials of the personnel department are tightlipped on the names of persons who have made it to the list, leader of opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira revealed the names of some of them after an official of the department visited him to get his signatures on the file three days ago. Khaira, however, refused to give his approval.

“I am not a rubberstamp. The government must call a proper meeting to discuss the names and make the selection. I told him my view but am still to hear from the state government,” the AAP leader said.

A total of 150-odd persons had applied for the eight posts. Both Angra and Virk, on being contacted, confirmed that they sent their applications last year.

A SELECTION COMMITTEE COMPRISING THE CHIEF MINISTER, THE ASSEMBLY SPEAKER AND THE LEADER OF OPPOSITION CLEARS THE NAMES