The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), after taking cognisance of its chairman’s directions, sought submission of an action taken report within 15 days by the Punjab government after a fake certificate matter was brought to its notice. The action comes after a man named Sarbjeet Singh was accused of landing a job in the Punjab Education Department by producing a fake Scheduled Caste (SC) certificate.
According to report in The Indian Express, Sarbjeet Singh got a mathematics teacher’s job reserved for the SC category in 1989 using a fake SC certificate and worked for over 34 years. The NCSC Chairman, Vijay Sampla, was quoted as saying by the publication that the Punjab government had sanctioned as many as 252 teaching posts across the state -- of which 25 per cent of seats were reserved for those belonging to the SC category.
The matter came out in the open after a complaint was filed by retired Punjab officer Avtar Singh Sahota to CM Bhagwant Mann alleging that Sarbjeet got the job upon producing a fake SC certificate.
Springing into action after receiving the complaint, NCSC issued directions to the principal secretaries of the Department of School Education, the Department of Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities, and the Punjab government to delve into the matter and submit an action taken report by June 21 via post or email.
The report will be based on the facts and information on the action taken on the matter.
The NCSC Chairman warned the officers that the commission might carry out the powers of the civil court conferred on it under Article 338 and issue a summon for personal appearance before the commission in Delhi if the action taken report is not turned in within the stipulated time.
According to a purported video, Sarbjeet Singh, who hails from Khara village in Kotkapura tehsil of Faridkot, is the father of famous Punjabi singer Amrit Maan.
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