CBI registers preliminary enquiry against UPPSC officials for alleged nepotism during Mayawati rule

The CBI has registered a preliminary enquiry against unidentified officials of Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission for allegedly granting favours to close relatives of public servants in an examination to select additional private secretaries during Mayawati's rule in 2010, officials said Thursday.

The preliminary enquiry is based on a complaint from the BJP-ruled government in the state which was routed to it through the central government in January.

It is alleged in the complaint that certain unidentified people including officials of the UPPSC committed irregularities and misconduct in the examination for about 250 posts of additional private secretaries in 2010, they said.

It is alleged that they extended undue favours to undeserving candidates, they said.

Some of the candidates favoured in the examination did not fulfill even the basic minimum eligibility, the officials citing the complaint claimed.

The complaint has alleged that some selected candidates are "close relatives" of public servants then serving the Uttar Pradesh government which was headed by Chief Minister Mayawati between 2007-12, they said.

It is alleged that the officials of the UPPSC in connivance with the examiners altered marks of the candidates to enable their selection, they said.

When asked, the officials said the definition of public servants includes elected representatives who have taken oath of office.

But they did not offer any comments to a question whether the "close relatives" were of elected representatives in the government or not.

"These are allegations in the complaint from the state government. We have registered a preliminary enquiry," an official said.

The move of the agency became public on a day Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party sealed their seat-sharing agreement for Lok Sabha polls to forge a formidable opposition against the ruling BJP.