Naidu demands CBI probe into ‘APPSC exam scam’
TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday demanded a CBI investigation into the irregularities that had taken place in the conduct of the A.P. Public Service Commission (APPSC) GroupI Mains examination in 2018, saying that it was in blatant violation of No.3(ix) of the APPSC Rules.
Mr. Naidu called for removal and disqualification of those who joined the services, and requested the Governor and the Chief Secretary to ensure that justice was done for the affected aspirants.
Addressing the media, Mr. Naidu stressed the need to file cases against tainted officers who were allegedly involved in the irregularities. He alleged that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Government Adviser Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, APPSC Chairman D. Gautam Sawang and Secretary (incharge) P.S.R. Anjaneyulu and additional secretary (CMO) K. Dhanunjaya Reddy had a role in the scam. Also, he said several close associates of the Chief Minister were appointed as members of the APPSC.
‘Dubious hirings’
Mr. Naidu recalled that the TDP Government had appointed the Chairman and members of the APPSC through a rigorous filtering process, but the current dispensation did quite the opposite i.e. appoint individuals who have a poor track record. “The APPSC has become a rehabilitation centre if one looks at the manner in which its officers acted as per the whims and fancies of the Chief Minister and the ruling party leaders,” Mr. Naidu alleged.
He observed that the evaluation of answer scripts was done in digital mode and some “chosen candidates” were selected. In fact, the valuation of papers was done thrice against the APPSC norms. The government was clearly responsible for the bungling that happened, but in spite of that, it was bent on challenging the court order, he said, insisting that the probe should be handed over to the CBI to expose the persons behind the fraud.