PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar takes credit for giving panchayat bodies the right to appoint teachers which, he says, is in keeping with the concept of Gandhiji's "Gram Swaraj".

However, retired university professor and BJP MLC Birkeshwar Prasad Singh, who undertook a tour of various panchayats across the state, on Wednesday said chances of appointment of eligible and qualified teachers appear bleak due to flaws in the process of appointment.

The MLC said there has been a flood of fake certificates submitted by candidates. Also, candidates have manipulated their marks with the help of computer, he said.

While aspirants have applied in more than one panchayats located in different districts, "I have come to know that the date of interview has been kept the same which will force the candidates to appear at just one place", he said.

Singh also pointed to the erroneous process of receiving application forms. Many schools do not have arrangements for receipt of application forms. "Many candidates have to submit their applications at the house of the mukhiya and that results into extortion from aspirants and other irregularities. The mukhiya and panchayat sewak often remain underground so that candidates are not able to submit their applications and they later manipulate the register meant to note details about the applicants," he said and added he witnessed long queues of candidates before some schools and it takes more than four hours to submit an application in such schools.

Singh said the government had sent special registers for entering details about the applicants. "In some places there were too many applicants and once the register was full, the mukhiya stopped accepting applications. As a result, scuffles are taking place in various places," he said. It is mandatory for the applicants to sign on the register but the rule is not being followed. "Not even the date of submission of application forms is being recorded," he said.

There were complaints galore about candidates getting in with fake marksheeets and degrees during the first phase of recruitment of teachers, he said and rued the government did not probe the irregularities on the plea that universities and institutions were not cooperating with investigating agencies. "As a result, there is a flood of fake certificates this time," Singh said, insisting he finds the government's stand on the issue unacceptable.

Incidentally, Singh is not the only one resenting the ongoing appointment process. A delegation of the Youth Congress submitted a petition to the governor alleging massive irregularities in submission of application forms in panchayats. They include harassment of candidates, demand for extra money for receiving application, claiming 90% marks on the basis of fake degrees and refusal of the panchayat officials to give an acknowledgement slip to the candidates.