Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the ‘political will’ ensured clean appointments without any political interference in the past three years in the state where ‘nepotism and corruption’ were rampant in the past. “It is the turn of the bureaucracy now to clean up the administration,” he said.
The Chief Minister said this at a function for the distribution of appointment letters to 840 ACS and allied cadre officers at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra in the city today.
The Chief Minister said, “The state had a time when the near and dear ones of ministers, MLAs, and political leaders got preference in government jobs. The writ of middlemen did run in the APSC (Assam Public Service Commission), ensuring jobs for only around 30 percent of meritorious candidates, and the rest got the jobs through corrupt means. The time has changed now. No minister, MLA, or political leader comes to me seeking favour for a job for anybody. Even I don’t know the candidates who cracked the APSC this year. Even the candidates are well aware of the fact that the selection for jobs is a clean process now, and they desist from going to politicians seeking favour.”
He said, “The politicians have played their role: doing away with nepotism and favoratism in the selection of candidates for jobs. Who will clean up the administration? It rests with the bureaucracy. Corruption, red tape, delays, etc., are still prevalent in the state administration.”
He said, “If a DC wants, he or she can root out malpractices in his office in a single day. Likewise, if an SP has the required willpower, the police stations under him can take prompt action against criminals. If the bureaucrats take a tough stance, they can eradicate all ills in the administration. We have proved our guts by cleaning up the appointment process. The bureaucracy has yet to prove that. As far as I know, many senior bureaucrats pass files without going through them.”
He said, “The time has changed now. The public is aware enough to post on social media when they find anything wrong with government offices. This draws the attention of the government to all wrongdoings. The government in the state doesn’t tolerate corruption in the administration, and so does the public.”
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