Right Now: Amravati: Saturday, 10 August 2024.
State Information
Commission’s Amravati Bench has recommended to the Chief Secretary of
Maharashtra Government to voluntarily disclose disability, sports certificates
submitted by candidates securing Government jobs under these and such
categories. This recommendation assumes significance against the backdrop of
the recent case of Puja Khedkar, former IAS probationer accused of wrongly
securing disability certificate. Rahul Pande, State Information Commissioner,
Nagpur and Amravati Bench, made the recommendation while issuing an order in a
second appeal filed under Right to Information (RTI) Act by petitioner Adv
Keshav Rajenimbalkar against Public Information Officer and Deputy Registrar of
Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV), Akola.
The petitioner had sought the certificates, Unique Disability Identity Card and other documents submitted by a candidate recruited by PDKV from Divyang quota. Since the petitioner did not get the information, he filed the first appeal. But, as no action was taken on the first appeal, he filed appeal with the State Information Commission, Amravati Bench, which asked PDKV on October 19, 2023 to hold hearing on the first appeal. But, as the hearing was not held, the petitioner filed second appeal with the SIC Amravati Bench. Pande has asked the PDKV officer to provide the information sought by the petitioner for free. While deciding the second appeal, the State Information Commissioner, Amravati Bench, observed that in the past few years disputes have arisen regarding certificates/documents submitted by candidates while taking up Government jobs in disability, sports, and such quotas. In some cases, Pande observed, it came to the notice that documents submitted were false or misleading. Against this backdrop, he recommended to the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra Government to voluntarily disclose the disability, sports or such quota certificates submitted by the candidates along with their appointment letters, on the website of the respective departments. This is a significant recommendation considering that various departments and authorities under the State Government recruit candidates from different categories. Pande highlighted the need for ‘public audit’ of such appointment process to ensure whether eligible and suitable candidates are appointed on positions reserved for various categories.
The petitioner had sought the certificates, Unique Disability Identity Card and other documents submitted by a candidate recruited by PDKV from Divyang quota. Since the petitioner did not get the information, he filed the first appeal. But, as no action was taken on the first appeal, he filed appeal with the State Information Commission, Amravati Bench, which asked PDKV on October 19, 2023 to hold hearing on the first appeal. But, as the hearing was not held, the petitioner filed second appeal with the SIC Amravati Bench. Pande has asked the PDKV officer to provide the information sought by the petitioner for free. While deciding the second appeal, the State Information Commissioner, Amravati Bench, observed that in the past few years disputes have arisen regarding certificates/documents submitted by candidates while taking up Government jobs in disability, sports, and such quotas. In some cases, Pande observed, it came to the notice that documents submitted were false or misleading. Against this backdrop, he recommended to the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra Government to voluntarily disclose the disability, sports or such quota certificates submitted by the candidates along with their appointment letters, on the website of the respective departments. This is a significant recommendation considering that various departments and authorities under the State Government recruit candidates from different categories. Pande highlighted the need for ‘public audit’ of such appointment process to ensure whether eligible and suitable candidates are appointed on positions reserved for various categories.
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