THE Meghalaya Public Service Commission is an important constitutional body that conducts examinations and recruitment for appointments to different services within the government. The Commission also advises on methods of recruitment and appointment to the State Civil Service and the principles to be followed in making such appointments; The Commission also advises on the granting of promotions or transfers from one service to another, and the suitability of candidates for such appointments, promotions and transfers. It also tenders advice on all disciplinary matters affecting government employees. The Commission conducts half yearly departmental examinations in respect of certain services of the State as prescribed by the service rules.
Considering the onus of the Commission and its wide ranging responsibilities in selecting personnel for running the state machinery, its members should be judiciously chosen and they should have a track record of integrity so that the public have confidence in its functioning. It is unfortunate that in Meghalaya the reputation of this very prestigious institution stands sullied because of political interference. Politicians have played around with every institution created, ostensibly to serve the public. They should have at least left the State Public Service Commission, which is essentially a recruitment agency, well alone. But they have not. All members of the Commission are political appointees hence they must owe their loyalties to the ruling party that runs the government at a particular point of time. They will not have the courage of conviction to go against the diktat of politicians and not to appoint those they recommend or to push out others without any godfathers. Merit has never had any place in Meghalaya. This is public knowledge. Chairpersons or other members of the Commission have been publicly accused of taking money for appointment of candidates who did not merit their job. They have been accused of favouring their kith and kin. They have also been known to acquiesce to the whims of the powerful ruling elite. No wonder we have state civil servants who remain venal from the time they join service, having got in by paying money.
In such a scenario how can government function efficiently? And now for over a year the Commission has been without a head and no one is bothered. Not even the civil society groups that should have taken this as a priority. The MPSC has been a symbol of corruption and there is not even an honest attempt to cleanse it. No wonder Meghalaya ranks so high in corruption.
