In a significant crackdown on alleged fraud, the Nashik Zilla Parishad has suspended eighteen of its employees after they failed to produce valid disability certificates during a verification drive. This action raises the total number of such suspensions in the district to twenty-three.
State-Wide Drive Targets Fraudulent Claims
The suspensions are part of an intensified state-wide campaign ordered by Tukaram Mundhe, the secretary of the disability welfare department. The directive mandated the verification of disability certificates for all officers and employees across Maharashtra's zilla parishads. The move aims to curb the misuse of government benefits intended for persons with disabilities.
Acting on these orders, Nashik ZP Chief Executive Officer Omkar Pawar launched a verification campaign nearly a month ago. All department heads were instructed to submit verification reports for the Unique Disability Identification (UDID) cards within a strict seven-day deadline. The campaign was initiated to ensure transparency, eliminate malpractice, and improve administrative efficiency by ensuring welfare schemes reach only the rightful beneficiaries.
Preliminary Findings and Immediate Action
Initial checks revealed troubling discrepancies. Officials stated that some employees had not submitted their UDID cards at all, while others were found to have a certified disability percentage below the mandatory 40% threshold required to avail benefits. Following the confirmation of these adverse reports, suspension orders were issued.
"To ensure transparency, curb malpractice, and improve administrative efficiency, we initiated the UDID card verification process for physically disabled employees," said CEO Omkar Pawar. "We have received adverse reports, and after confirmation, 23 employees have been suspended so far. Further action will follow." He emphasized that the misuse of disability benefits is a serious offence and that strict action would continue.
Profile of Suspended Employees and Recovery Actions
The suspended employees hold various positions, including gram sevaks (village development officers), primary teachers, headmasters, and clerks. The administration noted that these individuals had ignored repeated instructions to comply with the verification process.
Investigations suggest that the fraudulent certificates were used to secure illegal advantages such as promotions, preferential transfers, and financial allowances. In a related move, the administration has also begun the process of recovering wrongly availed financial benefits from a retired gram sevak.
This crackdown gains context from a Government Resolution (GR) issued in October, which made verification mandatory for all departments. The GR was a response to a surge in complaints about bogus disability certificates, including high-profile cases that brought the issue into the public spotlight.
The ongoing campaign underscores the administration's commitment to safeguarding the rights of genuinely disabled employees and ensuring the integrity of welfare schemes under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
