Guwahati, June 20: Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul today expressed their inability to declare the results of viva-voce tests within three hours as "directed" by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

He added that the APSC was an autonomous body and one can only "advise" it.

The commission was established in 1937 in accordance with the provisions of the Government of India Act, 1935, which conducts examinations to choose cadres for important posts of the state government.

Sonowal had, after a meeting with the APSC chairman and its officials on Wednesday, informed through an official press release that he had asked the department to declare the results of the viva voce (oral interview) within three hours.

The chief minister had also asked for a video-recording of all job interviews, keeping all answer scripts at one place and evaluating these under CCTV camera and to remove the provision for using extra sheets in answer scripts.

After the meeting, Sonowal had also asked the chairman to conduct a press conference to intimate the "people of Assam" regarding the department's functioning.

At a press meet this afternoon, Paul said, "It is not possible to provide the results of viva within three hours. We have neither adequate manpower nor adequate resource to evaluate the candidate's ability within such a short period."

He went on to add, "Moreover, as the APSC is an autonomous body, the chief minister can only suggest. We would have considered his suggestions had he sent an official note. But the commission has not received any such letter yet."

However, Paul said from now on the examinations would be videographed.

"We have taken up several initiatives to increase efficiency and transparency," he said, on steps taken to make the commission's functioning transparent.

Sonowal, in his response to Paul's remarks, told The Telegraph this evening, "It should not be taken as a directive. I have articulated the concerns of the people of Assam who want transparency and accountability from the APSC. We want the credibility of the APSC to remain intact."

The commission is facing allegations of favouritism and corruption while conducting its examinations.

A few days ago, the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, led by Akhil Gogoi, had challenged Sonowal to remove Paul from his post to make the commission corruption-free. Even Assam governor P.B. Acharya had mooted transparency in candidate selection on Saturday.

Paul said Akhil's allegations regarding the APSC was baseless and the commission had filed a defamation case against him.

"We have also filed a defamation case against a local newspaper which had published the remarks as these were baseless," he said.

Paul was appointed APSC chairman in 2012 for a five-year term.

He first hit the headlines in March last year when one Kamal Kanti Das wrote to the CBI claiming that Paul was collecting between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 40 lakh from each candidate, depending on the post he or she had applied for and that Paul had collected Rs 50 crore in this manner.

Gauhati High Court had ordered a probe into his assets in October last year, which was stayed by the Supreme Court the same year.