Amid the ongoing infighting among the chairman, members, and the secretary of the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), a new notice by the commission was released on Tuesday, February 6, notifying that KPSC Secretary Latha Kumari has been granted paid leave from February 7 to February 17, 2024.
The notice further adds that in the meantime, Dr Rakesh Kumar, Commissioner, Social Welfare Department, Bengaluru, has been given the concurrent charge of the post of Secretary KPSC.
To recall, several members of the commission have demanded the transfer of the secretary during ongoing conflict between the chairman, members, and the secretary of the commission. On Tuesday, February 6, Chairman Shivashankarappa S Sahukar, along with five members of the commission, boycotted its weekly meetings.
However, the remaining members of the commission went ahead with the meeting and cleared notification of the gazetted probationers examination and other proposals received from the government to fill Group A, B, and C posts in various departments.
Aspirants demand support
While the conflict in the commission continues, the Karnataka State Competitive Examination Aspirants Association (KSCEAA) has been harbouring support for the KPSC Secretary Latha Kumari.
After the notification about the secretary’s leave was released, Manjunath, General Secretary, KSCEAA, informed EdexLive that the association will approach Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah regarding their concerns.
“In just five months of her tenure, Latha ma'am has received so much support from the aspirants and now, she is being forced to take a leave from her post. This is because she has been upholding the Constitutional duties of KPSC. After the former KPSC Secretary Vikas Kishor was transferred, the aspirants lost hope in the commission. Latha ma'am rebuilt the confidence of aspirants,” Manjunath said.
The KSCEAA had started a petition highlighting unnecessary delays in the recruitment process caused by the current chairperson and the members of KPSC are affecting millions of aspirants of Government Service in Karnataka. The aspirants stressed that the KPSC Secretary Latha Kumari has taken several ‘pro-aspirant’ decisions in her tenure and released pending notifications and lists.
“I am a UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) aspirant but I am also preparing for KAS (Karnataka Administrative Services) posts with hopes that the notifications will be released and I will be recruited. But with the recent conflicts in the KPSC, I am losing hope,” added Manjunath.
