States directed to keep strict vigil on issuance of SC/ST/OBC certificates and take action against erring officials who delay caste verifications. Central departments and PSUs launch massive probe on reserved category employees
The caste certificate scam is not only confined to Maharashtra or in the tribal quota. Fraudsters have dented every government department and PSUs across India and occupying all reservation categories – scheduled tribe, schedule caste and other backward classes.
The Narendra Modi-led central government has ordered all states and Union territories to keep a strict vigil on verification of claims of candidates belonging to SCs, STs and OBCs so as to prevent bogus candidates from entering government services.
Chief secretaries have been asked to stop the malpractice at district levels, from where the caste certificates are issued. A circular was issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to all the states and UTs on March 14, 2016.
"...it is requested to issue instructions to District Magistrates/District Collectors/Deputy Commissioners to ensure at their own level the veracity of caste certificates so that unscrupulous non-SC/ST/OBC persons are prevented from securing jobs meant for SCs/STs/OBCs by producing false certificates," says the circular.
The order further states: "It is advised that in order to discourage unscrupulous activities, state governments and Union territories may consider issuance of appropriate instructions for initiating disciplinary proceedings against the errant officials who default in timely verification or caste certificates or who issue false certificates."
The caste certificates are issued and verified by the offices of DMs, SDMs or city collectors which are part of state revenue departments. District authorities often face charges of delaying the verification process, reportedly at the behest of fraudsters. This helps candidates to hold the posts on basis of forged documents for years and later amnesty.
Both circulars ask states to follow an order passed by the central government on March 20, 2007. "Most states have ignored the orders as evident by the cases which continue to land up at the various courts including the apex court, and, hence, the issuance of the fresh order, said a DoPT official.
The 2007 communique clearly states "chances of collusion of the candidates with some unscrupulous employees at the district level cannot also be ruled out," and recommends disciplinary action against officers who default in timely verification of the caste status or issue false certificates.
"Until now, most fraudsters have managed to continue their job, education or other quota benefits due to the soft stand of the government or humane approach of the courts," said a highly placed official of the central government. Sources say that central government departments are also victims of the caste scam due to the callous approach of the states in issuing certificates.
The Centre has issued a similar circular to its own ministries and departments of government on October 8, 2015, cautioning them about bogus candidates. Following that, all central government departments, agencies and public sector units have now launched a massive drive to identify the bogus ST/SC/OBC employees and those found to be bogus may face actions.
Case study
The Cotton Corporation of India, a central government agency, headquartered at Mumbai had recently stripped a "tribal" officer off from two promotions sending him back to an entry level post after a vigilance report found that he was not a tribal at all. The official has already served 19 years in the department and hence a soft stand was taken rather than expelling him from the job.
"The CCI has now launched a detailed probe into caste documents of all ST employees, nearly 70, placed in 12 offices across India", a top official of the Corporation told dna.
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