The State government has ordered a probe by the Karnataka Lokayukta into alleged irregularities in the recruitment of 102 candidates for clerk-cum cashier jobs by the Karnataka State Cooperative Apex Bank Limited, Bangalore.
Replying to a calling attention motion moved by Janata Dal (Secular) member H.C. Balakrishna in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs S Suresh Kumar said the Lokayukta would conduct the probe into alleged malpractices in the recruitment.
The Minister said status quo would be maintained with regard to recruitment till the Lokayukta probe was completed. The government-run Apex Bank was primarily lending for agricultural activities.
Mr. Balakrishna alleged that the selection committee had acted in a biased manner while selecting candidates. Candidates had secured highest marks in the written examination were denied jobs citing poor marks in the interviews conducted the panel. He demanded that the government conduct the recruitment again.
Mr. Kumar, who was replying on behalf of Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, said the bank issued appointment orders to 102 candidates on February 2, 2013. It was found that many candidates, who had scored highest marks in the written examination, had not been selected.
The written test was conducted on December 30, 2012, in four subjects for 200 marks. Twenty-five per cent marks were allotted for oral test.
CID probe
Mr. Kumar told N.L. Narendrababu that steps would be taken to expedite a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe into illegal constructions developed on 6.10 acres at Agrahara Dasarahalli in Govindarajanagar constituency in Bangalore.
Sites formed
Mr. Narendrababu alleged that the Karnataka Urban Housing Cooperative Society Ltd, which owned the land, had not formed sites for its members.
A few people had illegally constructed buildings on the site and were doing business.
Replying to a calling attention motion moved by Mr. Narendrababu of the Congress, Mr Kumar said the accounts of the society had not been audited since 1973. The probe was on and steps would be taken to expedite it, he said.
