CUTTACK: In a serious development, the President’s Secretariat has asked the chief secretary to look into the allegations of fake PwD certificates being issued by the orthopaedic department of SCB Medical College and hospital (SCB MCH) here.
The direction has come on the basis of a petition filed by lawyer Jatayuddha Sharma and others alleging a racket comprising a doctor, a dealing assistant and a former administrative officer of the hospital in doling out false disability certificates, particularly to those applying for government jobs, in return for huge bribe amounts.
Sharma, in his petition, cited case of a woman candidate who qualified OPSC examination-2019 for the post of assistant executive officer (AEE) in Public Works department on PwD quota despite not having permanent disability.
During certificate verification by the OPSC in December 2020, it was found that the candidate did not have any permanent disability. Subsequently, to ascertain the genuineness of her condition, the Commission sent her case to the medical board through the SSEPD department.
As per norms, since the candidate’s native place is Ganjam, she should have been sent to MKCG MCH in Berhampur for her medical examination. But the SSEPD department sent her to SCB MCH where the medical board allegedly just had a brief discussion with her instead of conducting any physical verification, the petition alleged.
The petitioners alleged the ring finger of the candidate’s left hand was slightly bent which made her eligible for a five per cent temporary disability certificate. However, she was given a 60 pc permanent disability certificate, they alleged.
The petitioners alleged the involvement of a racket at SCB in furnishing the false disability certificates. They also named some other candidates who had reportedly resorted to similar tactics in availing false disability certificates by giving bribe of around Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.
“The doctors at SCB are reportedly giving false disability certificates to ineligible candidates facilitating their recruitment in class-1 posts under OPSC. Due to this scam, talented eligible candidates are being debarred from their rights,” the petition stated.
Under Secretary in the President’s Secretariat Gautam Kumar asked the chief secretary to communicate the action taken on the matter to the petitioner.