Officials should check misuse of caste certificates: Har govt

Chandigarh, April 8:The Haryana government has directed top district officials and Registrars of all state universities to ensure authenticity of caste certificates to check use of forged documents for securing employment.

The state government today said it has circulated instructions issued by Department of Personnel and Training of the Government of India to streamline the procedure for verification of claim of candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes(STs) and Other Backward Classes(OBCs) for the purpose of appointment to posts or services.

The instructions have been issued to the authorities concerned for compliance in connection with issue of SC, ST and OBC certificate, a spokesperson of Haryana General Administration Department said.

"District Magistrates, District Collectors and Deputy Commissioners have been asked to ensure at their own level the veracity of caste certificates so that unscrupulous non-Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes persons are prevented from securing jobs meant for SCs, STs and OBCs by producing false certificates," he said.

Owing to difficulties faced by the candidates belonging to the reserved communities in securing employment due to delay in obtaining caste certificates, he said, instructions have been issued for providing provisional appointment to such reserved category candidates who are unable to obtain an appropriate caste certificate on time.

It has also been directed that where an SC, ST and OBC candidate is unable to produce a certificate from any of the prescribed authority, he or she may be appointed provisionally on the basis of whatever prima-facie proof the candidate is able to produce in support of his or her claim, subject to furnishing the prescribed certificate within a reasonable time.

"If there is genuine difficulty in his or her obtaining a certificate, the appointing authority should itself verity his or her claim through the District Magistrate concerned," the spokesperson said.

He said in order to discourage unscrupulous activities, appropriate instructions should be issued for initiating disciplinary proceedings against the "errant officers" who default in timely verification of castes certificates or issue false certificates.

PTI