Illegal recruitment in the cooperative sector in Uttar Pradesh during the Akhilesh regime had hogged the media headlines. With Yogi Aditya Nath assuming office, he immediately ordered an inquiry into the entire recruitment process in cooperatives. The Special Investigation Team [SIT]] was formed to look into the scam.
As expected, the SIT detected a huge fraud. The SIT has already submitted the report to the state government.
Based on forensic evidence of omissions in the OMR sheet, the team has recommended FIRs in the case. It is said then cooperative minister of the state Shivpal Singh Yadav may have a great deal to answer for.
The Akhilesh Government between 2012-2017, released 49 advertisements for recruitment in Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Land Development Banks, Uttar Pradesh State Warehousing Corporation and Uttar Pradesh 
Cooperative Banks out of which in 40 advertisements the recruitment process had been started.
Over 2,343 persons were recruited for different posts including Managers, Deputy General Managers, Assistant Managers, Assistant Branch Analysts, Assistant Field Officers, Assistant Managers (Computer), Senior Branch Managers and Clerk and others.
There are reports indicating that more than 30 persons from the same assembly constituency had been appointed.
It was alleged that the rules were changed after advertisements were released. Educational qualifications were reduced to give benefit to some people. In the appointment of 53 assistant managers, people belonging to a particular caste and people from a particular VIP assembly were given special preference. The officers employed their sons and daughters and relatives.
Ravikant Singh, then Managing Director of UP Cooperative Bank allegedly involved in acts of corruption, had been suspended by the Yogi government. The SIT had also recommended removal of several other officials including then MDs of cooperative banks.
