Centre Forms Panel To Look Into Row Involving IAS Officer Puja Khedkar

The Centre on Thursday formed a single-member panel to check the "candidature claims and other details" of controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who has been accused of allegedly misusing disability and OBC quota to secure a position in the service.

An additional secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) will enquire into the matter and submit a report within two weeks.

"The central government has constituted a single-member committee, chaired by a senior officer of the rank of Additional Secretary to government of India to verify the candidature claims and other details of Ms. Puja Manorma Dilip Khedkar, a candidate of Civil Services Examination-2022 and earlier CSEs. The committee will submit its report in 2 weeks," the Personnel Ministry said in a statement.

The 34-year-old probationary officer has been accused of allegedly misusing benefits under the physical disabilities category and Other Backward Class (OBC) quota to secure a position in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). She was transferred on Monday to Washim from Pune over allegations of bullying and entitled behaviour.

Earlier in the day, she took charge as an assistant collector at the Washim District Collectorate in Vidarbha region.