The speaker of Uttarakhand Assembly, Ritu Khanduri has trashed the allegations of backdoor appointments done by her in Vidhan Sabha secretariat. She said that all the Assembly speakers, ministers and chief ministers have the authority to make appointments in their personal staff and she has not done anything new. Khanduri said that the appointments done by her in personal staff are within the rules. She added the appointments are co terminus in nature which means that they would end with her tenure ends or till she removes them from their positions. Khanduri said the appointments are not permanent or ad hoc in nature and the staff appointed by her is not entitled to any other benefit or facility apart from salary. She said that there are people of Uttarakhand origin who are working as personal staff of the ministers in other States so it is wrong to say that she has appointed outsiders in her staff.

 It is pertinent to mention here that opposition leaders and others are attacking Khanduri for making appointments in her personal staff. They pointed out that some of her staff members are people from other States. 

Interestingly these accusations came at a time when Khanduri’s role in removing 228 ad hoc employees from Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha was being appreciated. On complaints of backdoor appointments in Vidhan Sabha secretariat, Khanduri on September 3 had set up a three members committee. The committee in its report found the appointments made in Vidhan Sabha in the years 2016, 2020 and 2021 as illegal. On the recommendation of the committee Khanduri ordered removal of 228 ad hoc employees from the Vidhan Sabha.

 Meanwhile the speaker has attached the suspended secretary of Vidhan Sabha Mukesh Singhal to the Gairsain Assembly building. Singhal was suspended by the speaker when the committee in its report found his role suspicious in making payment to the company hired to make permanent appointments in Vidhan Sabha secretariat.