The Assam Congress has called upon the ruling BJP to disclose the findings of the retired Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma Commission’s report on the cash-for-job scandal in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) examination.

Debabrata Saikia, leader of the Assam Congress Legislative Party and Leader of Opposition, has voiced concerns over the lack of action by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in response to the recommendations made in the report by the retired Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma Commission.

This commission was tasked with investigating irregularities and misconduct during the Combined Competitive Exam (CCE) held by the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) in 2014.

Saikia emphasized that the Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma Commission had advised the dismissal of the entire group of candidates selected during the exam due to the identified irregularities.

However, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed reservations about this recommendation, citing concerns about the inhumanity of such a decision.

Saikia pointed out the inconsistency in the Chief Minister’s position, highlighting that the same compassion was not shown in other cases.

Saikia stated: “When the Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma Commission initially received the Chief Minister’s support for dismissing all officers from that specific batch, but when the commission proposed an inquiry into the scandal, the Assam government was reluctant to accept it, eventually passing the responsibility to the Chief Secretary.”

“Now, the Chief Minister claims that dismissing the entire batch would be inhumane. While I believe in the importance of humanity, it is puzzling that the Chief Minister did not extend the same consideration to teachers in venture schools who were denied regularization due to a minor error in the issue date and cut-off date. In that case, the Chief Minister stated in the assembly that humanitarian grounds could not be considered. It appears that humanity is now being invoked to protect individuals who obtained jobs through unfair means, which I find highly regrettable.”

Saikia also accused Chief Minister Sarma of attempting to mislead the public by emphasizing humanitarian grounds, especially considering the involvement of several BJP members in the APSC cash-for-jobs scandal.

He said, “The Chief Minister’s appeal to humanitarian grounds appears disingenuous because several members of his party are implicated in the APSC cash-for-jobs scandal. I strongly condemn the Chief Minister for this. I demand that he take action in line with the commission’s recommendations. If the criterion of humanity is to be applied, it should be applied consistently to all. This is my request.”

It is worth noting that in April 2022, the Commission submitted its report on the 2013 APSC exam, revealing extensive irregularities and misconduct. The Commission recommended nullifying the selection of the entire 2013 batch as a corrective measure.

Additionally, the report uncovered irregularities in the appointment of Rakesh Paul, the former APSC chairman, which did not adhere to proper procedures. Despite these revelations, the recommendations put forward by the Commission to rectify the 2013 exam have yet to be implemented by the state government.