NEW DELHI: The Haryana Government is facing allegations of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) following its recent announcements and advertisements for public service recruitment.
Concerns were raised in two representations submitted to the Chief Election Commissioner of India on August 18 and 19, 2024, claiming that the recruitment advertisements were issued after the enforcement of the MCC.
According to the representations, the Haryana Government advertised 5,600 police constable vacancies and 76 positions for Trained Graduate Teachers (TGT) and Physical Training Instructors (PTI) on August 16, 2024, the same day the General Election for the Haryana Legislative Assembly was announced.
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Additionally, the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) released the examination schedule for 38 government posts on August 16, with exams commencing on August 21, 2024.
In response, the Haryana Government clarified that the recruitment process had been initiated well before the enforcement of the MCC. The posts in question were referred to the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) as early as July 2024, and the advertisements were merely formal announcements.
The government argued that since the recruitment process was already underway and handled by statutory bodies, there was no breach of the MCC.
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The Election Commission reviewed the matter and found that the selection processes for these posts had indeed begun before the MCC’s enforcement. Consequently, it ruled that the recruitment announcements did not violate the MCC.
However, to ensure fairness in the upcoming elections, the Commission instructed the Haryana Government not to declare the results of these recruitments until after the completion of the General Election.
The Election Commission has previously declared that the Haryana elections will take place in a single phase on October 1, with the last day of nominations scheduled for September 12, the scrutiny of nominations on September 12, the withdrawal of candidature on September 16, and the date of counting on October 4.