Rs.7 million bribe for government job in Karnataka?

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Monday ordered a probe into a bribe scandal in selection of candidates for government jobs, amid allegations that a state commission member demanded Rs.7 million from a job aspirant.

The probe follows claims by a Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidate Mythri, identified only by her first name, that she was asked by a Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) member to pay Rs.7 million to be selected for the post of assistant commissioner in revenue department.

Announcing the probe, the chief minister told the state assembly here that the list of candidates selected by the KPSC recently would be withheld till the inquiry was completed.

The bribe scandal issue was raised in the house by Leader of Opposition H.D. Kumaraswamy of Janata Dal-Secular and former chief minister and Karnataka Janata Party leader B.S. Yeddyurappa.

Siddaramaiah assured the house that the probe would be completed in two-three weeks and action would be taken against the guilty.

Mythri, a post-graduate in paediatrics, told reporters here last week that she topped the written examination in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. The examination was held in December 2012 and January to fill around 350 posts of class one and class two probationary officers.

She said that since the assistant commissioner (revenue) post was reserved for women, she was confident of getting it. But ahead of the interviews last month, she was asked by a member of the KPSC in his office to pay Rs.70 lakh to get the job. She did not reveal the name of the member.

Mythri later met the chief minister and briefed him about the incident.