From 'Parchi-Kharchi' To Online Processes: Haryana Voter Was Always Comparing The Job Provision Systems Of Congress And BJP

Despite expectations of anti-incumbency after a decade in power, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to form the next government in Haryana for the third consecutive term, securing 48 seats out of 90.

While campaigns were marked by fierce allegations, state recruitment drives and employment remained a central issue in these elections.

Much like anywhere else in the country, a government job is highly coveted in Haryana. 

On the ground, during the weeks leading up to the voting, Swarajya received diverse opinions from the locals — be it the youth, the teachers, state government employees, on the topic of employment.

Most views boiled down to comparing recruitment practices during the Congress's decade-long rule (2004-14) with the BJP's governance under former Chief Minister ML Khattar over the last 9.5 years

Under the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government, which ruled until 2014, recruitment processes were widely criticised for being corrupt, with jobs allegedly handed out through ‘sifarish’ (based on recommendations) or bribes.

The system had earned the notorious nickname "parchi-kharchi system" indicating jobs were secured through connections and money rather than merit.

"Before 2014, most jobs were given through personal connections, caste preferences, or bribes. There were government agents who would collect money from candidates and decide whose name would move forward for selection," teachers from government institutes in Rohtak tell Swarajya.

Most of these teachers admitted that this was a common practice known to all. Moreover, the nexus primarily benefitted people from Rohtak and nearby areas, which is also the 'garh' of former chief minister Bhupinder Hooda.

A government teacher from a nearby village, who had been appearing for state exams since 2011, but only qualified after changes in governance post 2014, also had a story to tell, on assurance of anonymity.

“Between 2011 and 2013, I appeared for four different exams and cleared two. For the other two, I am not sure if the results were rigged. In one of those recruitments, I passed all the stages,” she tells Swarajya.

“But a day before the final list was to release, some candidates received phone calls for appointment. I know this because a few people I know got the call, but I did not. The next day, when the list was out, my name was missing. It was clear that appointments were made before the list was announced.”

She continues, “This had been the trend for most recruitments in the state in those years. My brother faced a similar situation in police vacancies.”

“He was excellent in the physicals, which was the key for selection in those years. Everyone knew how well my brother performed, but today he has no job in the police, while another person, from the neighbouring village, known to have had some contacts, was appointed for the same vacancy."

"Rs 1 Lakh per mark, the price we found out which was paid,” she says.

It was only after 2014, under the Khattar-led BJP government, the recruitment process became transparent, allowing individuals like her to finally qualify. She eventually qualified for a TGT position in 2014-2015.

She adds, "At least now, under the BJP government, the basic trust and ethics of the examination system have come back. Selections are based on merit and there are more details and transparency when the results are out.”

Students who are currently preparing to appear in the examinations, such as Mohit and Anju, both PHD candidates at MDU university told Swarajya, “After coming to power in 2014, government introduced major reforms compared to previous administrations”

“Earlier, those from poor backgrounds who lacked money or connections had no chance, as there was no merit-based selection process.

“This government eliminated this informal quota system where jobs were distributed based on connections, caste, and money,” Anju said.

One of the major changes came in the recruitment of Group C and Group D services. To improve the recruitment, several policy and structural reforms were added to simplify and make the process transparent.

“On the policy front, the government scrapped interviews for Group D candidates. For these jobs, interviews were unnecessary, left room for bias and delays. Now, recruitment is based only on an exam,” Mohit said.

The key step was instituting a common exam across all departments for these positions, implemented through the Haryana Group D Employees Amendment Bill, 2019.

Mohit added, “The document verification process was also changed. Earlier, many of applicants had to verify their documents physically even before the exam. This was switched to an online process, with only selected candidates requiring verification.”

Additionally, the government introduced more detailed results, providing specific information about candidates beyond just roll numbers and scores, further enhancing transparency in the selection process.

In Rohtak and other parts of Haryana, some openly expressed that a return of Congress to power would bring back unfair practices, corruption, and irregularities in exams and recruitment.

A teacher from a coaching institute shared, “During Hooda's tenure, these institutes saw low enrolment, as it was well-known that "sifarish" and agents were the way to get jobs.”

 "Now over the years, I've seen more students enrolling in our institute, and many new ones have opened up.”

“Of course, part of this is due to increasing awareness and interest in coaching, but the rise in numbers is influenced by the shift on merit-based selection in state,"

Though the government has tackled and shifted the unfair recruitment practices, issues with frequent cancellations, paper leaks, and delays in recruitment continue to hamper job opportunities in the state.

Another student in Rohtak added, "Congress ruined the system with their 'parchi-kharchi' approach, while the BJP has issues with execution of its policy changes on the ground."

Now that the government has been re-elected, these lingering challenges remain at the forefront, with high expectations of improvements in these issues.