Cong stir over ‘job scams’ ends in mass detentions

Panchkula: Police used water cannons and heavy barricading on Tuesday to disperse hundreds of Haryana Youth Congress workers protesting outside the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) office over alleged recruitment corruption and the "systemic neglect" of local candidates.The protest, led by high-profile MPs Deepender Hooda and Varun Chaudhary, escalated into a standoff in Panchkula's Sector 5 after demonstrators attempted to "gherao" (encircle) the commission's headquarters. Following the clash, several bigwigs, including Youth Congress national president Udaybhanu Chhib and state president Nishit Kataria, were detained.The ‘Outsider' RowThe core of the Congress grievance is the allegation that the HPSC is prioritising candidates from outside Haryana for state govt roles, leaving local youth sidelined despite their qualifications. Deepender Hooda has alleged that while Haryana students top national examinaitons like the UPSC and IIT consistently, they are being "disqualified deliberately" from their own state's examinations.Alleging "administrative paralysis", the opposition claims the influx of non-resident hires is frustrating local graduates and undermining the efficiency of the state administration. In a scathing remark aimed at chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, Hooda noted that the names of Haryana youth are "gayab" (missing) from recruitment lists, while the CM's name is "Nayab".Dissolution DemandThe Youth Congress has characterised the HPSC as a "hub of scams", citing frequent paper leaks and bribery allegations. To resolve the crisis, the party issued a formal list of demands such as sacking of the chairman, commission dissolution, job protection, and re-advertisement. It demanded immediate dismissal of the current HPSC chairman and the appointment of a Haryana resident to the post, besides the total dissolution of the HPSC and an impartial investigation into past recruitments. It called for a policy ensuring that Haryana jobs remain exclusively for Haryana residents and that all currently vacant positions under the HPSC should be re-advertised under new, transparent guidelines.Lost Infra, Lost JobsThe protest also highlighted the broader economic impact of government decisions. Hooda accused the BJP of diverting major projects — including an international airport, a rail coach factory, and a defense university — to other states after they had been approved under previous administrations. "If these projects were implemented here, lakhs of local youth would have been employed," Hooda stated. "Now, even the HPSC is recruiting outsiders. Where should our youth go?" The state govt has not yet issued a formal response to the allegations of corruption or the demand for the commission's dissolution.MSID:: 128466845 413 |