The Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, is committed to the welfare and protection of the interests of the Scheduled Castes in the state. Acting accordingly, the fake Scheduled Caste Certificate of Davinder Kaur, daughter of Jhanda Singh from district Ludhiana and Amrit Kaur daughter of Harjit Singh from district Patiala, has been rejected by the state-level scrutiny committee constituted by the Government.
Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities, Dr. Baljit Kaur, stated that when sending a copy of the letter from the Joint Director of Homoeopathic from the Department of Health and Family Welfare, it was noted that Dr. Davinder Kaur, originally belonging to the Lohar caste by birth, obtained a Scheduled Caste certificate in her husband's name after marrying a Scheduled Caste person.
This certificate allowed her to secure a job as a Homoeopathic Medical Officer in the Government. Similarly, Dr. Amrit Kaur, daughter of Harjit Singh and a resident of Patiala, was originally of Arora caste by birth.
After marrying a Scheduled Caste person, she also obtained a Scheduled Caste certificate in her husband's name, which enabled her to work as a Homoeopathic Medical Officer. The Minister further explained that the inquiry report revealed that Scheduled Caste benefits can only be availed by individuals who are born into the Scheduled Caste.
In both of these cases, the Scheduled Caste certificate was acquired after marrying a Scheduled Caste person, rendering it invalid for any benefits. Consequently, the state-level scrutiny committee has submitted a report to the department, recommending appropriate action against them.
Dr. Baljit Kaur added that the action report of the state-level scrutiny committee has been forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner of Patiala and the Health and Family Welfare Department for taking suitable action against the accused.