Raipur: The Chhattisgarh Commercial Tax Department has declared the 2022 limited competitive examination for Commercial Tax Inspector posts null and void following serious and widespread irregularities that compromised the selection process.
State Tax Commissioner issued an order on 11 September 2026 stating that findings of an inquiry panel made it impossible to distinguish candidates selected on merit from those who benefited from irregularities. The department cancelled the entire selection process.
The department conducted the exam on 26 June 2022 to promote clerical cadre employees. Selected candidates received appointment orders on 1 July 2022.
Authorities set up an inquiry panel to examine available records following complaints of irregularities. The panel submitted its report on 3 July 2026.
The inquiry report highlighted multiple lapses, including the failure to classify posts category-wise under the reservation roster prior to the test. Officials stated that this non-compliance violated constitutional reservation provisions and equal opportunity principles in public employment.
Investigators found that the examination centre did not maintain candidate attendance registers, compromising the test’s authenticity. The department also failed to prepare or maintain a consolidated result and marks sheet, preventing officials from verifying the comparative merit of candidates and damaging transparency.
Multiple selected candidates submitted identical answers in their answer scripts without any official explanation, casting doubt on the fairness of the exam. The examination centre also failed to use the prescribed coding system to mask candidate identities during evaluation.
The inquiry panel reported that selection committee members, including the chairperson and the controller of examinations, directly participated in re-evaluating certain answer scripts to extend undue benefits to select candidates.
Discrepancies also emerged in the count of answer scripts for the 2021 and 2022 examinations. The total number of scripts accounted for exceeded the quantity purchased, with no records available to explain the mismatch.
The State Tax Commissioner observed that the interconnected irregularities spanned every stage of the process—from exam conduct and answer sheet handling to evaluation, re-evaluation, reservation, and final selection. Officials ruled out treating these as isolated procedural lapses.
The department examined options to penalise only defaulting candidates or prepare a revised merit list through re-evaluation. Available records made it impossible to segregate untainted candidates, and structural defects ruled out partial remedies or revised lists.
The State Tax Commissioner declared the 26 June 2022 exam null and void, invalidating all appointments made under the 1 July 2022 order. All promoted employees will revert to their original posts with immediate effect.
