Retired staff asked to submit papers on basis of which they got promotion

Abohar, May 18

The Vigilance Department of Local Government Department, Punjab has once again instructed the retired accountants of Abohar and Samana municipal council to submit the qualification certificates on the basis of which they were promoted.

No records available about eligibility

• On September 30, 2016, the Local Government Department had suspended 26 clerks working in the Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats of Punjab who were promoted in Grade 2 on the basis of seniority.
• To win promotions, some people had allegedly submitted fake certificates and other documents.
• Under the RTI, information was sought regarding eligibility certificates but the top officials provided wrong and incomplete information.
• There was no record available about the eligibility of said officials for promotion. It appeared that the qualification certificates and other documents of some of the promoted employees were fake.

A complaint about the alleged “scam” was sent by the Retired Municipal Employees Welfare Association last year, but the investigation is going on at a snail’s pace.

Association president Ashok Watts, in a letter written to the top brass of the department on September 11, 2023, had said on September 30, 2016, the Local Government Department had suspended 26 clerks working in the Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats of Punjab who were promoted in Grade 2 on the basis of seniority. To win promotions, some people had allegedly submitted fake certificates and other documents.

Watts said that under RTI, information was sought regarding eligibility certificates but the top officials provided wrong and incomplete information. He then appealed to the competent senior authorities. The answer was that there was no record available about the eligibility of said officials for promotion. It appeared that the qualification certificates and other documents of some of the promoted employees were fake.

The Association demanded action be taken against the tainted employees by reverting them and a criminal case should be registered against the officials who made false recommendations.

The Chief Vigilance Officer of the Department has now directed Ramesh Kumar Yadav, who retired as accountant from Abohar Municipal Corporation, and Sanjeev Kumar, who retired as accountant from Samana Municipal Council, to get their graduation certificates verified without further delay.

The Association today said that many of the promoted employees have retired on superannuation of service and received their retirement benefits also but the investigation is still pending.

When contacted, Ramesh Yadav said that he has already given the relevant document to the Corporation, it was the responsibility of the MC to forward the same to the Chief Vigilance Officer.