Curious case of the fence eating the crop

This picture has been used for representational purposes

The MVA government has been badly rocked by the recruitment scam involving several departments and officials. Police investigations point out that this could be a widespread scam with an organised network involved. First, the health department's mega employment drive was compromised, then the MHADA examinations had to be put off and subsequent inquiries have led the probe to the education department's teachers' qualifying exam, and recruitment drives conducted by the land records department and industrial development corporation. More revelations are expected as the whistleblowers are showing courage in sharing information.

While undeserving candidates have used illegal means and the money at their disposal to get government jobs, meritorious aspirants are still struggling to succeed. Acting against the culprits without any pressure and preventing the malpractice depend on the guts the investigators and the government show. To begin with, the government has mandated the services of only three players -- the Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited, Institute of Banking Personnel and Tata Consultancy Services -- to execute the recruitment-related programme. But, the government is expected to go above and beyond and set an example by handing out exemplary punishment to the state officials and others running an organised crime network, by accepting crores of rupees in bribes for recruiting a set of people who will further rot the system, leaving no space whatsoever for those with merit.

When the health department examinations were postponed in September this year, primarily because of a tainted private agency, we had said here that the viruses in the department must be traced and exterminated. When the exams were held in October, the question papers were leaked. A widely networked group of individuals including a senior health department officer and a doctor have been arrested. In the education department's Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) held last year, the commissioner of state council of examination had to be put behind bars.

A probe in the MHADA exam paper leaks led the police to the commissioner after TET-related documents were seized from the private agency they were investigating in the housing board exam, which had to be put off at the eleventh hour. The police recovered R88 lakh in cash, fixed deposit papers and gold from the commissioner, who, in association with the agency he hired, is accused of tampering with the results of the candidates who bribed him through a network of middlemen. The agency hired had been blacklisted earlier, but the commissioner who is responsible for many other examinations of the education department, revoked the action and got it back on board. The middlemen work across the state. They target coaching class operators who need better results to get more admissions. In the recent case, a coaching class owner is reported to have done the job of whistleblower, blasting the lid off a scam that can be traced back several years.

The rally that wasn't

An interesting story, tinged with embarrassment for some and delight for others, has emerged from the Mumbai Congress camp about a proposal to hold Rahul Gandhi's public rally on the party's foundation day at Shivaji Park on December 28. When the government did not react to the City Congress's request for allowing the event, the high court was moved. Apparently, the legal step incensed not only senior Congress leaders but the MVA constituents, too, especially the Shiv Sena that hasn't used Shivaji Park for its annual rally because of the pandemic. The petition in the court did not augur well when Rahul Gandhi and top Sena leaders were together in defending the West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's attack on the former Congress president. The Sena had taken a strong and resolute stand in favour of Rahul and the Congress. Also, the high command was independently apprised of the tough task of organising such a mammoth event in such a short time, if given permission. The bosses in Delhi asked the Mumbai unit to withdraw the petition, shut down the event plan, and never ever reopen it without keeping everyone who matters in the loop. It is also learnt that the turn of events leading to the postponement of the event has widened a rift between the two senior Mumbai Congress office-bearers.

Dharmendra Jore is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @dharmendrajore Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com