ISLAMABAD, Feb 29: A number of candidates, who appeared in the tests for appointment on vacant posts in the Capital Development Authority, accused the civic body of committing irregularities in conducting the tests and in selection.

Some of the candidates toldDawn on Sunday that question papers had already been given to some candidates and they appeared in the tests with the solved answer sheets.

The authority has been conducting tests for fresh appointments in different directorates for the last one week. The tests for 60 posts of lower divisional clerks were held at the CDA model school on Sunday.

It is worth mentioning here that Interior Minister Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat had strictly directed the CDA to ensure merit and criteria of education during the appointment of fresh staff.

The minister had already issued instructions that no applications filed after August 30, 2003 should be entertained, a source in the ministry said. However, a source in the CDA said some officials of the interior ministry, under which the CDA works, had provided the lists of recommended candidates to the authority's officials so that they could be passed in the tests.

The source said the ministry had given the names of three candidates to the directorate of administration so that they could be appointed against three vacant posts of assistant director, administration.

The three candidates - Mohammad Iqbal, Sirat Asghar and Ghulam Yasin - belonged to Jhang district, the source said. "Some officials of the interior ministry remained present in the examination halls instructing the CDA officials how to favour their candidates," Mohammad Akram, a candidate said.

Another source said most of the candidates recommended by the ministry had failed to submit their applications before August 30, 2003 deadline. However, their applications were accepted by the Authority.

Similarly, most of the recommended candidates appeared without submitting their national identity cards but the CDA raised no objection over it. The source said the interior ministry had given lists of recommended candidates to all directors of the CDA for their appointment.

When contacted, a senior official of the CDA on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the CDA's directors have received verbal orders and lists of candidates from the ministry.

He said most of the officials of the authority gave top positions to the recommended candidates in the tests. However, some of the officials refused to do so.