Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje seeks CBI probe into Karnataka veterinary officers’ recruitment ‘scam’
New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour and Employment, Shobha Karandlaje, has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking an urgent Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into alleged large-scale irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commission’s (KPSC) recruitment of Veterinary Officers.
In a formal letter dated August 2, the Minister raised serious concerns over allegations of corruption, abuse of official position, manipulation of the recruitment process, and criminal conspiracy. She said that these developments, if left unaddressed, risk severely eroding public confidence in the fairness, transparency, and integrity of public employment processes.
“The nature of the allegations indicates large-scale irregularities, including possible payment of illegal gratification and systematic abuse of the recruitment process,” Karandlaje wrote. She pointed out that lakhs of meritorious candidates aspiring for government service deserve a recruitment system free from corruption and undue influence.
Highlighting the constitutional dimensions, the Minister noted that the integrity of the KPSC is central to the guarantee of equality in public employment under Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. Any compromise in its functioning, she said, not only prejudices deserving candidates but also weakens public trust in constitutional institutions and the rule of law.
Given the seriousness of the allegations and the larger public interest involved, Karandlaje stressed the need for a fair, independent, and comprehensive investigation by the CBI. Such an inquiry, she argued, is essential to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy, identify all individuals involved, trace the flow of illegal gratification, and examine the role of public servants and intermediaries so that accountability is fixed without fear or favour.
She requested the Union Home Minister’s immediate intervention to entrust the investigation into the KPSC Veterinary Officers recruitment irregularities to the CBI at the earliest, in the interest of justice, transparency, and public confidence in constitutional institutions. The letter concludes with a request for prompt and favourable action.