Ahmednagar civil surgeon submits report to district collector; Puja has 51% disability
Ahmednagar District Hospital certified that trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar has 51 per cent disability pertaining to visual impairment and mental illness, according to a report submitted by the civil surgeon to the district collector on Monday
Pune: The Ahmednagar District Hospital had certified that trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar has 51 per cent disability pertaining to visual impairment and mental illness, according to a report submitted by the civil surgeon to the district collector on Monday.
Ahmednagar District Collector S Salimath will study the report and forward it to the divisional commissioner with remarks amid probe already being launched by the committee constituted by the department of personnel and training (DOPT).
Salimath said, “We have verified documents related to disability certificates of Puja and conclude that they were issued with total disability of 51%.”
On alleged misuse of disability certificates, Puja on Monday said, “I will testify in front of the expert committee and accept its decision...I do not have the right to tell about the probe. Our Constitution is based on the fact ‘Innocent until proven guilty’, so proving me guilty by media trial is wrong.”
The controversial probationary IAS officer currently posted at Washim after her transfer from Pune amid allegations of high-handedness was first issued disability certificate by Ahmednagar District Hospital in 2018 for visual impairment. Three years later, the probationer was issued mental illness certificate by the same authorities in 2021. The hospital’s medical board also issued another certificate clubbing both the disabilities together in April 2021.
A senior officer from the Ahmednagar district administration said that the collector has asked three doctors of the medical board who had examined Puja to submit their say. Total five doctors were involved in issuing two disability certificates to Puja in 2018 and 2021. Of them, two retired from the services and three are serving at Ahmednagar district medical department.
Dr Sanjay Ghogare, Ahmednagar district civil surgeon, said, “Disability certificates issued to Puja from our offices are original (not forged) and are given after following all necessary procedure. She has a total cumulative disability of 51% calculated by using specific formulae by collaborating both disabilities. Independently, she is certified 40 per cent visually impaired and 20 per cent mentally ill.”
Ahmednagar health department officials said that while applying for the disability certificate there is no need to submit any outside medical report or test. The candidate should be from the same district while availing the disability certificate. He or she can apply online. Then candidates get appointment to government hospitals in the respective district. Candidates can choose the nearest hospital as per choice. Tests for disability are conducted across all designated hospitals in Maharashtra on Wednesdays. Candidates are scanned for particular disability at the respective ward in the hospital. In case of multiple disabilities, candidates should be referred to other departments as well. Accordingly, the candidate will get a certificate within a week and a disability card will be allocated later.
Officials clarified that anyone can apply for disability certificate, but candidates can only get quota benefit for at least 40% disability.
Another officer on condition of anonymity said, “Benefits of 40% to 74% disability certificate are the same, but if any candidate’s disability goes beyond 75%, then there are some more special benefits.”
The district collector said that the administration had issued a non-creamy layer certificate to Puja in 2022 which was used in the UPSC exam.
Puja has recently courted controversy for misusing benefits from the Other Backward Class (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) quota to secure a position in civil services.