The Haryana Vidhan Sabha witnessed heated discussions on Monday over the integrity of state government recruitments, with the opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) pressing the government for transparency on alleged question paper leaks and high vacancy rates in the police force.
INLD's Four-Point Demand on Recruitment Leaks
Raising the issue during the Question Hour, Dabwali MLA and INLD leader Aditya Devilal sought a detailed account from the state government regarding purported leaks in examinations conducted by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) and the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC). Devilal presented a four-point query, demanding year-wise and post-wise details of all such incidents from 2014 to the 2024-25 financial year.
He specifically asked for information on recruitment processes cancelled due to leaks or court-identified irregularities, action taken against involved officials and accused persons, and the legal status of all related cases.
Chief Minister's Response: Investigation Ongoing, No Proof Yet
In his reply, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini asserted that no case of paper leakage has been conclusively proven in the state. However, he acknowledged one specific instance where allegations were formally made.
Saini informed the House that some candidates had filed a writ petition (CWP No. 2710 of 2023) in the Punjab & Haryana High Court, alleging a paper leak in the written test for 383 posts of Veterinary Surgeon conducted on January 15, 2023. Following the High Court's direction on February 9, 2023, the HPSC requested the Haryana Director General of Police to investigate the matter.
"The investigation is still going on. Since the inquiry was taking time, the Commission cancelled the said examination on November 17, 2023," the CM stated. He added that the HPSC subsequently completed a fresh selection process involving a subject knowledge test and interview, sending its recommendations to the concerned department on June 13, 2024. Saini emphasized that no HPSC officials have been found involved so far, and the investigation report is awaited.
Nearly 30% Posts Vacant in Haryana Police
The session also shed light on significant manpower shortages in the state's police department. Responding to a question from INLD's Rania MLA, Arjun Chautala, CM Saini revealed that approximately 30% of sanctioned posts, both uniformed and non-uniformed, are currently vacant.
Out of a total sanctioned strength of 84,765 posts (79,063 uniformed and 5,702 non-uniformed), a staggering 25,631 posts remain unfilled. This includes 23,189 uniformed and 2,442 non-uniformed positions across various ranks.
The government has granted permission to fill 7,310 of these vacancies, and recruitment processes through the HSSC and HPSC have been initiated. Proposals to fill an additional 2,908 posts are under consideration. To bridge the gap and maintain law and order, the police department has engaged 11,052 Special Police Officers (SPOs) and 10,196 Home Guard Volunteers (HGVs) to assist the regular force.
The dual issues of recruitment transparency and administrative vacancies have put the state government's hiring mechanisms under legislative scrutiny, highlighting ongoing challenges in public service delivery.
