The Maharashtra government has set a July 31 deadline for its employees to submit caste validity certificates, failing which they will face termination of service.
As per the Maharashtra scheduled caste, scheduled tribes, VJNT (vimukta jaati and nomadic tribes), other backward classes and special backward classes (caste validity and scrutiny) Ordinance 2001, every government and semi-government employee belonging to the backward classes should submit their caste certificate for validation to the caste validation committee, according to officials.
"As per the legislation which came into force from 2004, if an employee has submitted false certificate to get a job in the backward class quota and is in service for many years, he/she is liable to be suspended from work immediately for violation of rules," an official said.
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Employees who do not do so, will be considered as those who have not been able to prove their caste.
"Such employees will be given one month's notice to complete the caste validation process and services of those who fail to comply will be terminated," the official said.
The government has asked all the caste validation committees to complete the validation process and take appropriate decision in six months.
"If the committee finds the caste certificate invalid, the services of the concerned employee should be terminated with immediate effect," officials said.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to provide relief as of now to those employees who have not been able to prove their caste claim and were recruited before June 15, 1995, on ST quota.
"They will be required to submit the proof of the caste which they belong to. Many employees have submitted other caste as well as validity certificates and got protection in their service. Such employees will be required to surrender their scheduled tribe certificates to the competent authority in their offices for cancellation," the officials said.
These employees will have to apply for fresh caste certificates before June 30 and submit their certificates to the caste validation committees by July 31. Those who fail to comply to this condition, will face termination of service, the officials said.
Similarly, employees who joined service before June 15, 1995, on scheduled tribe certificate and whose documents are pending with caste validation committee or who have not submitted the papers till now, have the option of giving up their claim of belonging to the particular scheduled tribe. They can apply for fresh caste certificate.u00a0
Meanwhile, employees who were recruited before June 15, 1995, and who retired from service or took VRS later, should get their caste certificates validated in six months.u00a0
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