Bengaluru, July 24 (IANS) Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday alleged large‑scale irregularities in the recruitment of Veterinary Officers by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) and demanded that the state government immediately withhold the selection list and order a fresh examination.
Leader of the Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy claimed that the recruitment process violated government norms governing backlog vacancies reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). He also referred to allegations of bribery and nepotism in the selection process.
According to him, KPSC had issued a notification in 2024 to fill 400 Veterinary Officer posts, including 342 general vacancies and 58 backlog posts reserved for SC/ST candidates.
He alleged that while competitive examinations and interviews could be conducted for general vacancies, a 2025 government order prohibited conducting competitive examinations for backlog vacancies. Despite this, SC/ST candidates were allegedly subjected to competitive tests.
Narayanaswamy further claimed that allegations have surfaced that candidates were asked to pay up to Rs 80 lakh to secure appointments as Veterinary Officers.
He said the government had not responded to the allegations and questioned who had authorised the recruitment of backlog vacancies through competitive examinations.
The BJP leader also alleged nepotism in the recruitment process, claiming that several meritorious candidates, including gold medallists from veterinary colleges, were overlooked. In contrast, candidates with lower scores and repeated examination failures had been selected.
He specifically alleged that a close relative of the suspended KPSC chairman had been appointed, and demanded that SC/ST backlog posts be filled purely on merit.
He further alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Agriculture Officers (AO) and Assistant Agriculture Officers (AAO) conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), stating that students were protesting over the issue at the University of Agricultural Sciences campus in Bengaluru.
Commenting on the ongoing protests over the alleged NEET question paper leak, Narayanaswamy accused political parties of “hijacking” student demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
He said the Union government had taken necessary action following the controversy, including conducting a re‑examination and announcing results, and questioned the continuation of protests.
–IANS
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