HPSC: Hooda must now pick men of merit

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 12
The apex court’s green signal to the removal of the suspended chairman and members of the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) comes as a big boost to the Hooda government, which had all along maintained that they had bungled the selections for various government jobs.
These persons were appointed to the august office by the INLD government just before it was voted out of power in 2005. The timing of their appointment and the manner in which these were made had left none in doubt that the party had tried to ensure its grip over the HPSC for the next six years, even if voted out of power.
Those INLD-appointed members whose tenure would have expired within a few years, giving an opportunity to the new government to appoint its own men, were made to resign by the then government.
The INLD strategy was obvious. In case the party was voted out, the HPSC would remain under its control during the tenure of the next government. The INLD strategy is a reflection on the functioning of most of state public service commissions. Their members do not apply their mind while selecting candidates for government jobs, they just do the bidding of the powers that be.
The Hooda government spoiled the INLD gameplan by taking out most of the jobs out of the purview of the HPSC. Even those posts which remained with the HPSC, no requisition was sent to it. This prompted the INLD to accuse the Hooda government of subverting constitutional authorities like the HPSC.
The Hooda government made out a case for the removal of Saini and eight other members and after nod from the President, placed them under suspension.
The Supreme Court’s observation that Saini and his colleagues failed to “maintain the required standards of integrity and rectitude in performance of their constitutional duties” is likely to have a bearing on various cases pending in courts.
Perhaps, it is the first case where the apex court has given its approval to removal of the entire Public Service Commission.
The apex court’s decision on the HPSC has put an added responsibility on Hooda. Now he will have to prove that his selection of the HPSC members is impeccable.