Backwards in State face Govt scrutiny

The Government has issued a GR (Government resolution) asking all collectors and municipal commissioners to scrutinise and forward the documents to the state election commission in the next 45 days. The scrutiny would include verification by the police.

An official from the tribal development commissionerate said that about 14,000 cases were likely to be scrutinised. He pointed out, however, that the exercise might actually require about six months considering the additional work and shortage of staff.

The scrutiny of documents began earlier this week. However, MLAs and MPs have been exempted from the scrutiny as a policy decision would have to be taken by the Election Commission, Delhi. The verification of the caste certificates has been undertaken following complaints of fake documents being submitted by candidates to claim reservations.

Officials are however skeptical over the outcome of the exercise as in the past, no punitive action has been taken against those found guilty of claiming reservations on the basis of fake documents. For instance, a BJP corporator from Nashik, Ramchandra Pardeshi, was found guilty of submitting bogus documents to claim reservations as a Scheduled Tribe candidate. Despite clear indictment in February this year, the state election commission is yet to disqualify him.

RAIL MISHAP AVERTED: A major rail mishap was averted on the Mumbai-Bhusawal section of the Central Railway yesterday, when railway personnel removed a boulder placed on a track between Ghoti and Nashik Road stations.

Acting on information from the Bhusawal control room of the railway protection force, the staff of the Nashik Road railway station rushed to the spot, near Ghoti, to find a huge stone laid on the Mumbai-Bhusawal Down track. The Kurla-Manmad Godavari Express was halted at Ghoti station and the stone was removed. Officials said the stone weighed about 100 kilos and might have caused a disaster.