Kolkata: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has alerted the chief secretary and other officers to be vigilant about the misuse of ST certificates by non-STs for jobs, at a recent meeting of the state tribes advisory council.
The PSC cancelled the candidature of three candidates for not being ST in the miscellaneous exam. The PSC spotted that the backward class department was unable to confirm the candidates belonged to ST. The PSC notification stated that the three — Debabrata Paul, Rahul Mahato, and Sanbtu Pan — do not belong to the ST category. Consequently, the candidature of the said three candidates in connection with the miscellaneous exam stands cancelled.
The CM urged a review of the ST certificates being issued, as many fake certificates were in circulation. An official said that since 2011, around 27 lakh ST certificates were issued. There were also allegations of misuse of the ST certificates during recruitment to various departments of the state govt, prompting the state to seek strict verification of the ST certificates to prevent fabricated claims to secure jobs through the quota meant for STs.
The matter was reported to Nabanna, an official said, adding it is now up to the govt to take steps against the candidates who make false declarations.