Uttarakhand Speaker Ritu Khanduri on Saturday constituted a three-member committee to probe into alleged irregularities in the recruitment to the state Assembly Secretariat since the creation of the state. The state was created in the year 2000 and the recruitment took place under the tenure of both the BJP and Congress governments. There have been allegations that relatives and acquaintances of politically influential people were recruited through the backdoor.
The panel will be headed by the former secretary (personnel) Dilip Kumar Kotiya. The other two members of it--Surendra Singh Rawat and Avananedra Singh Nayal—are also former secretaries of the Personnel Department. Announcing the constitution of the committee at a press conference here, Khanduri said the panel has been directed to submit its report within a month. The committee's recommendations will be strictly implemented in a transparent manner, she added.
Current Vidhan Sabha Secretary Mukesh Singhal has been asked to remain on leave during the investigation period, the Speaker said. Khanduri said the decision was taken in the public interest, adding, "No irregularity or indiscipline is acceptable to me as the Speaker. I can take any number of reformative steps and harsh decisions to maintain the sanctity of the House." "As the Speaker, it is not just my responsibility but also my foremost duty to maintain the sanctity of the Vidhan Sabha, which is the apex constitutional office in the state," she said.
Khanduri said she had entered public life after being impressed by the personality of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had once said that he won’t let anyone indulge in corruption. "I want to assure the youth that justice will be done to all and no one will be left disappointed," she added. Earlier, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had requested Khanduri to consider ordering a probe into the issue.
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