PUNJAB GOVERNMENT REVOKES ANOTHER CERTIFICATE IN CAMPAIGN AGAINST FAKE SCHEDULED CASTE CERTIFICATES

Dr. Baljit Kaur Continues Stringent Action Against Fake Scheduled Caste Certificates

Government Committed to Protecting Interests of Scheduled Castes of State

Chandigarh, August 24:

          Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is committed to safeguarding the interests of the Scheduled Castes of the state. In pursuit of this objective,  Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Department is taking action against fake Scheduled Caste certificates. A case involving Mr. Sukhtiar Singh son of Mr. Sucha Singh who works as a Punjabi Lecturer at Govt Senior Secondary School Chak Wazidan, Fazilka has been investigated at the state level committee formed by the Government. The certificate of Mr. Sukhtiar Singh has been rejected upon scrutiny.

          Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur, stated that a complaint was lodged by Mr. Balbir Singh son of Mr. Nirmal Singh from Alampur Post Office Kouli District Patiala. The complaint alleged that Mr. Sukhtiar Singh, son of Mr. Sucha Singh a resident of District Fazilka, obtained Scheduled caste Certificate of belonging to Sirkiband caste whereas he belong to the Rai Sikh caste.

          Minister further explained that Mr. Sukhtiar Singh belongs to the Rai Sikh caste, whereas he has make a certificate indicating the Sirkiband caste. He had taken admission in  ETT (Elementary Teacher Training)  based on this erroneous certificate. The District Welfare Officer’s 2001 report from Ferozepur revealed that the results for the 4th semester of ETT were withheld and admission was revoked by SCERT due to the false caste Certificate.  Mr. Sukhtiar Singh then filed a writ in the Hon’ble Punjab and Haryana High Court. However, the court dismissed the writ on April 6, 2004, without granting relief. Despite this setback, he secured a position as a Punjabi lecturer in 2006 after completing his B.Ed, using the same  certificate.

          The Minister mentioned that after reviewing the report from the Vigilance Cell by the State Level Scrutiny Committee, it has been confirmed that Mr. Sukhtiar Singh’s Scheduled Caste Certificate is indeed fake, and the decision to cancel it has been made.

          The Minister added that the department has communicated with the Deputy Commissioners of Fazilka and Ferozepur, requesting the cancellation and confiscation of Mr. Sukhtiar Singh’s Scheduled Caste Certificate, numbered 577 and dated August 09, 1994.