Govt servants scurry to get caste certificate by cut-off date

MUMBAI: The state administration, particularly at the lower level, has come to a grinding halt as all backward class officers and employees are running from pillar to post for the verification of their caste before July 31. The government has threatened to terminate their services if the verification is not done by the end of the month.
A senior bureaucrat said that quite a large number of backward class officers and employees had failed to submit their caste certificates or had got their jobs on the basis of a fake certificate.
The official said it was decided to verify the caste of all the backward class officers and employees.
"It's a fact that as the deadline for submitting the caste certificate is coming to an end, most government offices across the state are wearing an empty look, with officers running from pillar to post to gather the documents," he said.
In the wake of specific complaints that a section of officers and employees had secured jobs in the reserved category on the basis of fake certificates, chief secretary Jayant Kumar Banthia on May 18 issued a nine-page order on the procedure to be followed for verification of caste in case of officers and employees of the backward class.
"If it is found that an officer or employee has submitted a fake caste certificate for securing a job, his services are liable to be terminated and all the benefits given to him too will be withdrawn," Banthia said in his order.
Rules make it mandatory for all backward class officers and employees to submit their caste certificates to the high-level caste verification committee immediately after they secure state government jobs. On May 18, Banthia asked all the backward class officers and employees to submit their caste certificates to the committee before July 31, 2013 and submit the acknowledgement to the competent authority in the respective departments.
Banthia warned that in the case of those who fail to meet the deadline, it will be assumed that they have failed to prove their caste.
"All such officers and employees who fail to submit the documents will be given a month's notice and their services will be terminated," Banthia said.
Banthia has asked the caste verification committee to complete the entire exercise of verification of caste within six months and if it is found that false documents were submitted, disciplinary action should also be initiated against errant officers and employees.