71 Jalgaon Zilla Parishad employees found to have bogus disability claims, face forced retirement
Of 471 verification reports received so far, 71 employees' disability was found bogus, and 139 more will lose benefits after testing at 11 to 39 per cent.
A re-verification of disabled employees at the Jalgaon Zilla Parishad has thrown up a major case. The parishad has 689 employees with disabilities, and reports of their examination are arriving in batches from the government medical college. So far 471 reports have come in, and the disability of 71 employees has been found to be bogus.
The General Administration Department said that, in line with a Supreme Court order, these 71 employees will be forcibly retired once administrative formalities are completed. In addition, 139 employees have been found to have a disability of 11 to 39 per cent, so all their benefits will be withdrawn. Teachers and gramsevaks account for the most cases: the disability of 40 teachers and 13 gramsevaks has been proved bogus.
The re-verification is being carried out on the court's order. The order says that employees whose disability is found to be between 11 and 39 per cent, that is, below the minimum threshold of 40 per cent, must immediately lose all service benefits meant for the disabled. Under this order, the zilla parishad has begun withdrawing the benefits of the 139 employees.
In the education department, 297 of 426 employees have been re-examined so far. Of these, 40 employees were found to have a disability of less than 10 per cent. Preparations have begun to withdraw the benefits of 86 teachers with a disability below 40 per cent. Among gramsevaks, 13 have been found to have obtained bogus disability certificates, while the benefits of 29 gramsevaks are to be withdrawn.
Details have been sought from employees who did not undergo the examination at all, and they will then be given a final notice. CEO Karishma Nair has made it clear that anyone who has not undergone the examination will be treated as having a disability of less than 10 per cent and sent a notice.
Questions are also being raised. While forcible retirement is being discussed for the 71 employees, the 139 employees with 11 to 39 per cent disability kept drawing benefits despite not being disabled, so it is asked what merely stopping the benefits will achieve, and when recovery from them will be made. There is also an expectation that the CEO will act against those who used these benefits to secure convenient postings in transfers.
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