Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar interacts with students at a state-level function to mark International Anti-Corruption Day, at Panchkula, Monday. (Express Photo by Jaipal Singh) Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar interacts with students at a state-level function to mark International Anti-Corruption Day, at Panchkula, Monday. (Express Photo by Jaipal Singh)

Terming the Annual Confidential Report (ACR)-based promotions as “questionable”, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Monday suggested scrapping the practice by introducing a merit-based exam.

“Nobody has a right to promotion. We have to make merit the baseline of our working. This can be a solution, if all secretaries agree to it. The way the promotions based on ACR take place, is questionable to say the least,” Khattar said.

Laying out the way these exams would take place, he said, “People who become eligible for promotion, would sit for a qualifying exam. If they clear the exam, they would be promoted”.

Once this policy is formulated, it will be applicable to staff at all levels of administration – from clerical to the IAS and IPS officers.

This policy should not exist just for the administration but for everybody else as well, he added.

Khattar said, earlier the CM had the discretion of promoting clerks to the Haryana Civil Services (HCS) cadre. “But in the past year, people who were eligible for promotions, appeared for a qualifying exam and sat for interviews. Almost 70 people were promoted to the HCS on merit,” he said.

Citing another example he said, “The CMO had to suggest a panel five IAS officers for further promotion, out of which one used to be selected. We have stopped doing it. Now, an HPSC exam would take place where IAS officers, who sit and qualify would be suggested for that promotion”.

Addressing state officials and a gathering during an event to mark International Anti-Corruption Day here, Khattar also made it mandatory for all officials to wear body cameras while conducting raids.

“All departments conduct raids and I am making it compulsory, for any department that visits any premise, including factories, homes or offices, to wear a body camera. Whatever your eyes used to see, now your cameras will record. Whatever you say, you see and you do, will be recorded,” said Khattar.

The move comes in light of the CM’s Office receiving complaints of harassment by officials during raids.

Khattar also announced the setting up of an anti-corruption cell at the CMO. “An anti-corruption cell would be set up. A WhatsApp number will be made public where anybody can lodge a corruption complaint against authorities by sending audios or videos or photographs and quick action would be taken against such individuals,” he said.

The complaints can also be lodged on the official Twitter handle of Haryana CM as well as through two helpline numbers. “We will not give the details of such complaints till the investigation has been completed. Once the charges are proven true, the complaints would be made public, but the sender can remain anonymous. Only the (anti-corruption) cell would have such information. People who provide more than one such information which are proven to be true, will be awarded,” he said.

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