A statement by Himachal Pradesh Industry Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan has set off a political storm in the state. The minister himself admitted that he had helped around 700 people from his assembly constituency get jobs on the basis of recommendation. The moment the statement went viral, the BJP branded it a case of backdoor recruitment and demanded a fair investigation into the entire matter. The minister, however, appeared entirely unfazed by the row and insisted there was nothing wrong with what he had done, adding that BJP leaders should actually be congratulating him for it.
What triggered the row
A video of Harshvardhan Chauhan speaking about having secured jobs for close to 700 people from his assembly constituency began circulating widely. The opposition BJP seized on the clip and launched a direct attack on the government, arguing that a minister publicly claiming to have arranged jobs for hundreds of people from his own area raises serious questions about the fairness of the recruitment process. On this basis, the BJP labelled the appointments a case of backdoor recruitment.
Minister's defence: outsourced hiring has no interview
As the controversy grew, the industry minister came forward to clarify the situation himself. He said every appointment being talked about was made under the outsourcing system, and that system does not involve any interview process at all. He added that this is not a new arrangement, since the same outsourcing route was used to fill posts during the previous BJP government as well. According to him, BJP ministers too had got youths from their respective constituencies employed through the outsourcing system when they were in power. The minister questioned why he was being singled out now for following a practice that has always existed. He went further, saying that if ministers and MLAs of the earlier BJP government failed to get jobs for people in their own areas through this same route, that reflects their own failure, not any wrongdoing on his part.
Where the appointments happened, and how many
Harshvardhan Chauhan explained that his assembly constituency covers a large number of backward and difficult-to-reach areas, where many government posts have remained vacant for a long time. He said that is precisely why a relatively larger number of appointments have been made in his constituency through the outsourcing system. Giving specific numbers, the minister said around 85 appointments were made in schools in his constituency, while nearly 67 people got outsourced employment in the Jal Shakti department. Beyond that, outsourced appointments were also made for posts such as yoga instructors and in Ayurvedic dispensaries, along with a few other departments. He stressed that every outsourced post is filled only after cabinet approval and through a fixed process, leaving no room for arbitrary decisions.
'Proud that youth from my constituency got jobs'
The industry minister said that if youths from his assembly constituency have found employment, it is a matter of pride and happiness for him. He stated plainly that if outsourced posts open up in his constituency in the future as well, he will continue trying to get youths from his area employed. He said he is answerable to the people who elected him to the assembly, and if that accountability results in youths from his constituency getting jobs, there is nothing wrong in it. Responding to the BJP's allegations, he said that if BJP leaders could not get youths from their own constituencies employed through outsourcing during their government's tenure, that is their own failure. He added that instead of levelling allegations, the BJP should be congratulating him for helping around 700 youths from backward and remote areas find employment.
BJP hits back, demands a transparent probe
The BJP has hit back sharply at the minister's statement. Former industry minister and senior BJP MLA Bikram Thakur raised serious questions, saying that if a minister is publicly claiming to have got 700 people from his constituency jobs, it becomes an extremely serious matter. Bikram Thakur alleged that if these appointments were made on the basis of a minister's recommendation or influence, it would amount to a case of backdoor recruitment. He has demanded that the government order a fair and transparent investigation into the entire episode, so it becomes clear whether the appointments genuinely followed the set process or were made on the basis of recommendations.
