Maharashtra to bail out 11,000 staffers with fake caste certificates?

MUMBAI: The state government may end up protecting over 11,000 government employees who forged caste certificates to get jobs under the Scheduled Tribes (ST) quota. Two years ago, the Supreme Court had ordered action against these employees, leaving the government to grapple with how to follow the directive and still buffer itself from the wrath of the employees to be hit by what could arguably be the largest sack of government employees in one fell swoop.
A senior official said the state-appointed cabinet sub-committee headed by minister for tribal development Vishnu Savara may soon submit a report recommending that all posts filled by using forged ST certificates be considered as ‘supernumerary posts’, which means that they can be protected as employees. But they will not get any promotion till retirement and their posts will be scrapped once they retire.
An official said two meetings of the cabinet sub-committee have been held to decide on the matter, though the final report is yet to be submitted. “Considering how large the number of the affected employees is, the committee may consider not to dismiss them, but deny them promotion,” said an official. Savara was not available for comment.
In July 2017, the Supreme Court had ruled that anyone found guilty of using a forged caste certificate to get admission into educational institutes or for a job will lose their degree and job. In October 2018, the state tribal development department had filed an FIR against nine medial students for forging documents to get admission in a medical college with scholarships. All nine students were from Annasaheb Chudamal Patil Memorial Medical College in Dhule district.