An Incident of an Appointee Being Given Compassionate Appointment First in Grade IV and Subsequently in Grade III Comes to Light;
Bhagalpur, Special Correspondent: A bizarre appointment made on compassionate grounds has recently become a subject of discussion within Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU) and its associated administrative corridors. A sensational case has come to light where, flouting the rules of compassionate appointment, the very same candidate was appointed first to a Grade IV (fourth-grade) post and, shortly thereafter, to a Grade III (third-grade) post. Following the exposure of this matter, panic has spread within the university's administrative staff, raising questions as to whether the same individual can be granted the benefit of compassionate appointment twice in violation of rules. Deep resentment prevails among academicians and employees regarding this entire discrepancy, and demands for a high-level investigation into the matter have intensified.
What is the Whole Matter? Complexities of Compassionate Appointment Rules
According to government provisions and explicit guidelines from the General Administration Department, following the death of any government servant, only one dependent family member is provisionally eligible for a job once based on their qualifications:
Initial Appointment in Grade IV: According to preliminary information, the dependent relative of a deceased university employee was initially given a job under the rules in a Grade IV post (clerk or fourth-grade employee). The candidate concerned had also commenced service in that post.
Subsequent Adjustment/Appointment in Grade III: Strikingly, after some time elapsed, the same candidate was re-appointed to a Grade III (Assistant/Clerk) post by modifying rules or allegedly through collusion, utilizing higher educational qualifications. This process of a single individual availing compassionate benefits across two separate grades has cast serious doubt on the working methodology of the university's recruitment branch.
Open Violation of University Rules and Raj Bhavan Guidelines
Academic and administrative experts state that the core objective of a compassionate appointment is to immediately rescue a deceased employee's family from sudden financial distress, rather than serving as a mechanism to promote an individual to successively better posts:
Principle of One Person, One Job: According to rules, once a dependent secures a job on compassionate grounds, their case concludes right there. Thereafter, if they wish to elevate their educational qualifications, they must advance through open competitive examinations or departmental promotions like other general candidates.
Falsification of Documents and Files: It is alleged that in this entire matter, certain corrupt officials and employees of the university colluded to manipulate files such that facts regarding the initial appointment were either suppressed or subjected to technical amendments.
Whispers in Administrative Circles and Demand for Investigation
Ever since this matter came to the notice of the media and intellectuals of the university, turmoil has persisted in administrative corridors:
Opposition by Employee Unions: Various employee unions and student leaders have expressed sharp reactions, stating that while hundreds of qualified youth have been running from pillar to post for jobs for years, specific individuals are being granted double benefits by setting rules aside.
Focus of the Vice-Chancellor and Senior Officials: Sources indicate that the matter has reached the top officials of the university. Whispers have intensified that an independent and impartial inquiry into this entire process will be conducted to ascertain through whose competent authority's recommendation or signature this illegal process was completed.
This alleged game played in the name of compassionate appointments at Bhagalpur University has once again proved the extent to which a lack of transparency plagues the administrative system. Giving a job to the same candidate first in Grade IV and then in Grade III is not only an open violation of government rules, but also an encroachment upon the rights of all those needy individuals who genuinely deserve this assistance. If the administration fails to take strict action in this matter soon, it will prove to be yet another major blot on the university's reputation.
