The differences in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) continued, as its weekly meeting on Tuesday was again boycotted by five members and Chairman Shivashankarappa S. Sahukar even as the remaining members cleared notification of the much-awaited gazetted probationers examination and also of other proposals received from the government to fill Group A, B, and C posts in various departments.
The meeting attended by five of the 10 members of the commission also approved provisional dates for conducting the gazetted probationers examination to fill Group A and B posts totalling 384 posts, including 77 of the Kalyana Karnataka cadre. The commission had received the proposal from the government on February 2. Commission sources said the preliminary examinations will held within three months.
In the absence of the Chairman, the senior-most member Ronald Anil Fernandes chaired the meeting to clear the proposals. Though the Chairman has cried foul over the meeting, citing a lack of quorum, one of the members has defended the move stating that the meetings have taken place based on the legal opinions received.
Among others, the members in the meeting decided to send nine lists of successful candidates to fill 666 vacancies to respective departments to take further action. Those recruitment proposals to fill Group A, B and C posts received from departments that are in order would be notified to start recruitment process immediately, the meeting decided.
Stand off over HLC recruitment
The stand off between the Chairman and members, and KPSC Secretary K.S. Latha Kumari over the recruitment of the head of the legal cell (HLC) had earlier led to the clearing of nine lists to fill 666 posts in various departments on January 31 by the other group of members to overcome the delay.
Besides the Chairman, members Vijaykumar D. Kuchanure, M.B. Heggannanavar, B.V. Geetha, H.S. Narendra, and Musthafa Hussain Syed Hafeez, stayed away from the meeting on Tuesday. They have informed that till the HLC selected by a three-member committee headed by the Chairman is approved, they would not attend meetings to clear the recruitment lists. On the other, the KPSC Secretary has refused to accept the recruitment proposal for the HLC stating that the selection process was not transparent and has sought records of the recruitment process. The HLC is a contract employment for a period of two years for which district judges are considered.
While the Secretary has already withdrawn the earlier notification issued in November 2023 to recruit the HLC, a fresh notification was issued on January 9, 2024, calling for applications to fill the post. The commission sources said the last date for receiving application is February 17, applications from 10 candidates have been received so far.
Meanwhile, even as the commission has issued a fresh notification to recruit a HLC, pressure is building on the Secretary to accept the recommendation of the three-member committee headed by the Chairman. Commission sources said it would be difficult now to accept a recommendation after the notification has been withdrawn. “There are efforts to transfer the Secretary or to send her on leave to break the impasse,” a member indicated.
