‘ New rules not good to play by’
QUESTIONS REMAIN Follow UPSC, judiciary pattern, say experts, members; ‘people of integrity to be difficult to find’
PATIALA: With lieutenant general RS Sujlana (retd) due to retire on June 5 and hunt on for new chairman of the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), the challenge is to find a guy of integrity under the new rules of engagement.
The chief minister will lead the selection committee that includes the Vidhan Sabha speaker and the leader of the opposition. They will suggest names to the governor for the appointment after another committee led by the chief secretary has vetted the applications and chosen a panel from it.
The Punjab government adopted the procedure after the Supreme Court set aside the appointment of Akali legislator Harish Rai Dhanda to the post in 2011. The new rules either have not impressed the experts and sitting and former members of the PPSC.
“The new procedure is also flawed,” said former PPSC chairman brigadier DS Grewal (retd). “The government should follow the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) pattern of appointment to keep it apolitical and ensure that anyone’s chances of selection do not change with the change of government. Now not only new applicants but also every member of the PPSC will try to charm the political masters.”
“No committee of bureaucrats can disobey a powerful ruling politician, if he wants a particular candidate on the shortlisted panel,” said brigadier Grewal.
“Now, the field is open and so are the backdoors of selection. In this scenario, how can there be no political inference, as the court desires,” he added.
For smooth functioning,
The seniority formula works well in the EC, judiciary and UPSC but what if a man of doubtful integrity becomes chairman of the PPSC by its virtue VINOD SHARMA educationist who has taught 400 bureaucrats
organisations need continuity in structure. “When the judiciary, election commission and UPSC follow the seniority norm, why is Punjab hesitant?” said brigadier Grewal. Even a sitting member of the PPSC appointed of late said that since the advertisement was out, most members of the commission, irrespective of seniority, were lobbying for the post.
“Appointing the most senior member to the post will be a good idea indeed,” said the member. “It will end the rat race, bring in continuity, and ensure that there is no political interference.”
“The seniority formula works quite well in the election commission, judiciary and UPSC but what if a candidate of doubtful integrity becomes chairman of the PPSC by the virtue of seniority. To avoid this, we need strict appointment rules,” said educationist Vinod Sharma, who has taught more than 400 bureaucrats in his career.
“We must select people of highest integrity as members of the PPSC, if we have to adopt this rule. Presently, this is impossible,” he added.
Chief secretary Rakesh Singh could not be contacted for comments, but a bureaucrat who had framed the new rules said these had given the commission a fine chairman in lieutenant general Sujlana.