Demonstrating its unwavering commitment to upholding the rights of Scheduled Castes within the state, the Punjab government has recently cracked down on fraudulent caste certificates. In a significant move, the government canceled a bogus Backward Class (BC) category certificate held by Jasveer Singh, an Elementary Teacher hailing from Ghanour, Tehsil, District Patiala. Simultaneously, a counterfeit Scheduled Caste certificate held by Panch Mittu Ram, a resident of Surul Kalan village in District Patiala, faced annulment after a thorough examination by the State-level Scrutiny Committee.
Dr. Baljeet Kaur, Minister of Social Justice, Empowerment, and Minorities, stressed the government’s commitment to rectifying these irregularities. Jasveer Singh had previously relocated from Haryana to Punjab following his marriage and subsequently secured a teaching position in the education department using a fraudulent BC certificate. This matter came to light when Balveer Singh, son of Nirmal Singh, filed a complaint against Jasveer Singh, resulting in the revocation of the spurious certificate. The Minister emphasized the importance of addressing such issues and taking strict action against those involved in such malpractice.
Further investigations revealed that Pala Singh, Jaswinder Singh, and Harnit Singh, residents of Surul Kalan, Rajpura Tehsil, District Patiala, had filed a complaint with the Director of Social Justice, Empowerment, and Minorities, accusing Mittu Ram of acquiring a Scheduled Caste certificate despite his affiliation with the Rajput community. This illegitimate certificate had enabled Mittu Ram to be elected as a Panch (elected representative) for Surul Kalan village. The complainants urged the authorities to invalidate Mittu Ram’s certificate and hold him accountable.
To address this issue, the Deputy Commissioner of Patiala and the DPI (Elementary) were entrusted with the task. Following a comprehensive investigation, it was determined that Jasveer Singh indeed belonged to the Backward Class but had deceitfully acquired a Scheduled Caste certificate, which was subsequently revoked in accordance with government guidelines. In a similar vein, the investigation disclosed that Mittu Ram, based on his school records, attendance, and testimonies from villagers, was affiliated with the Rajput community but had procured a Scheduled Caste certificate fraudulently. Consequently, Mittu Ram’s Scheduled Caste certificate was invalidated.
The vigilance department had previously summoned Mittu Ram for the investigation, setting up hearing dates on the 22nd and 28th of June, as well as the 24th of August and 1st of September. However, he failed to attend any of these hearings. Consequently, the District Officer of Social Justice and Empowerment, Patiala, took the decision to nullify Mittu Ram, son of Janni Ram’s, Scheduled Caste certificate following the review.