Inquiry ordered over 'fake' migrant certificate for RTE seat

The department of public instruction (DPI) has ordered a probe following a complaint that the Bengaluru South-1 block education officer (BEO) approved a ‘fake’ migrant certificate produced by a parent to get an RTE seat at a top school. The RTE students’ parents’ association had filed the complaint.

The department has constituted a four-member committee to conduct an inquiry. A report is awaited.

As per the complaint, BEO Bengaluru South-1 Prakash K had allegedly allowed a ‘fake’ migrant certificate submitted by some of the parents to get seats for their children under the RTE quota. Prakash was unavailable for comments.

According to parents who filed the complaint, Prakash approved the certificates, despite the spot verification committee saying the parents were not migrants and their addresses were wrong.

“Not just the BEO, we demand an inquiry against officials of the labour department who issued fake migrant certificates. This looks like officials of the labour and education departments were hand in glove,” said Yogananda B N of the association.

“Even if it is a single seat allotted illegally, the RTE Act does not serve its purpose,” Yogananda said.

As explained by the officials, there were 14 such cases reported this year, of fake migrant certificates produced by parents from the same ward claiming as migrants.

“None of them was residing in the addresses mentioned in the migrant certificate,” one official said.

DDPI (deputy director for public instruction) of Bengaluru South Baylanjanappa told DH, “The committee constituted by the department had visited the office for inquiry recently.”

He said though there were efforts to admit students under migrant category of RTE quota by submitting fake migrant certificates, the same was not successful.

“As per our information, 14 such cases were reported. But those students were not selected,” he said.

Marilingegowda Mali Patil, social activist and one of the complainants, told DH, “This is not the first time. In 2016, the BEO was suspended for misappropriation of RTE reimbursement fund up to Rs 92 lakh. But he was shifted back to the same post when the departmental inquiry by a retired district judge was still on.”