Chennai port class-1 official sacked for submitting fake ‘experience’ certificate for job

A class-1 official in the Chennai Port Trust has been sacked for allegedly submitting a fake ‘experience’ certificate to get appointed as Assistant Materials Manager.
 
Published: 04th July 2018 04:09 AM | Last Updated:  

By SV Krishna Chaitanya

Express News Service

CHENNAI: In a rare case, a class-1 official in the Chennai Port Trust has been sacked for allegedly submitting a fake ‘experience’ certificate to get appointed as Assistant Materials Manager in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Department. The officer in question is D Jagadeesh Kumar, who joined the service on June 27, 2016. The action was taken after Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of Chennai Port independently verified and established the illegality and recommended punitive action against Kumar following a complaint received from a whistle-blower under Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Informers (PIDPI).

As per the termination order issued by Chennai Port Trust chairman P Raveendran, a copy of which is available with Express, the desirable qualification for the post of Assistant Materials Manager is two years post-qualification experience in materials management in an industrial/commercial/government undertaking. At the time of applying, Kumar has enclosed experience certificate for four years and nine months in the letter-head of M/s Sundaram Fasteners Ltd, Chennai supposedly signed by S Arul, Deputy General Manager, claiming to have worked as an engineer in manufacturing development. During investigation, it was found that the certificate was ‘fake’ attracting major disciplinary action under Regulation 4(4) (Furnishing false information/bogus certificate at the time of employment) and Regulation 4(17) (Criminal offence involving moral turpitude) of Chennai Port Trust Exployees (Conduct) Regulations 1987.

Also, Regulation 16 of the Chennai Port Trust Employees (Recruitment, Seniority and Promotion) states, “Any candidate who is found to have knowingly furnished any particulars which are false or have suppressed material information of a character is liable to be disqualified, and, if appointed, to be dismissed from service.” Accordingly, the Chairman has ordered termination of the services of Kumar. 

Another major allegation levelled by the whistle-blower is that the entire selection process was a farce and stage-managed with the involvement of senior port officials. Undue favour was reportedly extended and question paper was given forehand.

Reliable sources in CVO office told Express that action has been recommended against five port officials, who were part of selection process. In response, Chairman Raveendran chose to be diplomatic and said that action has been initiated as per rules. Kumar claimed that he didn’t submit any fake certificate. “I have submitted all original documents, salary certificate, Form-16 of Income Tax, Form 26 A (S) and service certificate. I have challenged the order in the Madras High Court,” he said and also refuted the charges of accessing the question paper.

Chennai: Medical aspirant seeks social media help to retrieve stolen certificates

A class XII student, who lost his original marksheets at the Egmore railway station, has turned to social media for help.
 
Published: 04th July 2018 04:06 AM | Last Updated: 


  
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A class XII student, who lost his original marksheets at the Egmore railway station, has turned to social media for help. Boopathi Raja, who scored 1,114 marks in his class XII examination, arrived here for counselling under the ex-serviceman quota at the Omandurar Government Medical College when he noticed the documents missing.

“We reached the college at 11.15 am on Sunday and the security personnel asked us to take photocopies of my certificates. We searched for a shop to take printouts of copies I had in my email. Since it was Sunday, most of the shops were closed. Finally, we went to the counselling venue at 12.15 pm. The security personnel informed me that all 60 batches of students participated in the counselling and the quota was over,” said a disappointed Boopathi.

Boopathi was directed to revisit the counselling centre on Saturday and to retrieve the duplicate copies from the authorities concerned in Virudhunagar. “Now that I lost the ex-servicemen quota, I have to participate in the medical counselling in the general quota only,” he said.Bhoopathi Raja’s father Ganesan, a CRPF constable, died in harness when he was four-year-old. He was brought up by his mother Rajalakshmi, a homemaker, and his elder sister Poongkodi, who has applied for her Master’s in a local college in Virudhunagar.

Recalling the incident, Bhoopathi said, “On Sunday, I arrived at the Egmore railway station with my uncle Ganesan around 4 am. Since we were very tired from travelling in an unreserved compartment of the Mangalore Express from Virudhunagar to Chennai and also because there was time before the counselling scheduled to begin 9 am, we decided to take a nap. My uncle had the bag under his head. But when we woke up around 6 am, our bag was missing. We searched everywhere and finally filed a complaint with the railway police,” said Boopathi Raja.

His class X and class XII marksheets, transfer certificate, Aadhar card, ration card, community certificate, NEET report card, his father’s pension book and service records, all in original, were missing, said Bhoopathi, who was a student of SRV Boys Higher Secondary School in Rasipuram, Namakkal. Meanwhile, CCTV camera footages at the Egmore railway station clearly showed a 60-year-old man and another person lifting the bag and walking towards the suburban train to Tambarm at 5.15 am. Boopathi’s uncle, who had initially kept the bag under his head, later moved the bag below the bench he was sleeping on, revealed the CCTV footage.

Bag under the head goes missing

Recalling the incident, Bhoopathi said, “On Sunday, I arrived at the Egmore railway station with my uncle Ganesan around 4 am. Since we were very tired from travelling in an unreserved compartment and also because there was time before the counselling scheduled to begin 9 am, we decided to take a nap. My uncle had the bag under his head. But when we woke up around 6 am, our bag was missing.

Jurisdictions not to affect passport applicants 

Special Correspondent 
 
Coimbatore, July 04, 2018 00:00 IST

Under a new scheme launched by the Ministry of External Affairs to mark the Sixth Passport Seva Divas, applicants can choose any Regional Passport Office (RPK) or Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK) to apply passport and need not worry about the jurisdiction.

A release from G. Sivakumar, Passport Officer - Coimbatore said that applicants can choose any of the RPOs, PSKs or POPSKs to apply for passports, irrespective of whether the present residential address specified in the form lies within the jurisdiction of the chosen passport offices. If required, police verification would be conducted at the address specified in the form.

Applicants can visit the Passport Portal at  www.passportindia.gov.infor further details.

Doctors go on hunger protest 

Staff Reporter 
 
CHENNAI, July 04, 2018 00:00 IST


In protest:Members of the Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association on a fast.K. Pichumani 

Demand pay parity with Central govt. doctors

Doctors attached to the Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association (SDPGA) on Tuesday launched a fast demanding pay parity with Central government doctors at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. While three doctors are on indefinite fast to put forward their demands, nearly 40 others are observing relay fast.

P. Saminathan, State general secretary of SDPGA, said that the State government, in an order issued in 2009, assured that review of pay band would be taken up after three years, and then after five years.

“As per this, the pay band should have been reviewed in 2017 but this did not happen.

The GO also mentioned the Dynamic Assured Career Progression under which promotions are not based on vacancies but years completed in service. This too has not been implemented,” he said.

While Central government doctors received the pay band-4 on completion of 13 years of service, doctors in Tamil Nadu received the pay band-4 after 20 years of service, he said, adding, “We are lagging behind by seven years. The difference in pay is at least Rs. 40,000 a month.”

The association is also demanding 50% quota in postgraduate seats for in-service candidates. “We are also demanding that child care leave of two years should be introduced in the State for women doctors. We also want a corpus fund to be created to support the families of doctors, who die during service,” he said.

He added that the association would intensify their protest if the government officials did not respond.

Student loses certificates 

Staff Reporter 
 
CHENNAI, July 04, 2018 00:00 IST

A student, G. Boopathiraja of Virudhunagar, reportedly lost his original certificates when he had come to Chennai to attend the MBBS/BDS counselling on July 1. Boopathiraja, who scored 236 in NEET, was called for special category counselling under ex-serviceman quota. “I reached Chennai Egmore station and found that the bag containing my original certificates missing. I lodged a complaint at the GRP station.” He says counselling was over when I reached the venue. I was told to come for counselling on Saturday as my community rank is 629 for SC. However, I might not get a seat in a government college."

Court grants time to ascertain claim on nativity certificates 

Special Correspondent 
 
CHENNAI, July 04, 2018 00:00 IST

Students from State losing out to outsiders: petitioners

The Madras High Court on Tuesday granted a week’s time to Assistant Solicitor General G. Karthikeyan to ascertain from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry as to whether 1,269 students who had reportedly applied for medical seats in Tamil Nadu last year had dual nativity certificates.

Justice N. Kirubakaran directed the ASG to obtain the details by July 10. He also directed Special Government Pleader T.M. Pappaiah to find out whether his earlier directions to make production of Aadhaar compulsory during the ongoing medical counselling session had been complied with or not.

The judge had passed the interim order on a batch of writ petitions filed last year by candidates who complained that many students from the State could not gain admission in the colleges here because natives of other States garnered a considerable number of seats by making false claims of being residents of Tamil Nadu.

“To confirm that genuine State candidates are benefited under the State quota, it is appropriate to make the production of Aadhaar and a photocopy of the same compulsory at the time of counseling. By this method, students of other States could be prevented from getting the benefit under the State quota,” the order said.

During the hearing of the case on Tuesday, the judge said that reports of suicides by students every year due to their inability to gain admission could be reduced considerably if the parties come forward to sponsor the poor students.

719 seats in govt. medical colleges allotted 

Staff Reporter 
 
CHENNAI, July 04, 2018 00:00 IST
Most seats in city colleges filled up

On Tuesday, the second day of general counselling, majority of the seats in the four government medical colleges in the city were allotted. In total, 719 MBBS seats were allotted in the 22 government medical colleges across the State. With this, day three of general counselling will begin with 1,118 vacant seats in government medical colleges.

According to officials of the Selection Committee, the Directorate of Medical Education, a total of 828 candidates were called for counselling. Of this, 813 candidates attended. While 719 seats in government medical colleges were allotted, 29 seats were allotted in the ESIC college. A total of 59 MBBS seats were allotted in self-financing colleges. One BDS seat was allotted in the TamilNadu Government Dental College. At the end of day two of general counselling, a total of 808 seats were allotted.

As of now, the Madras Medical College (MMC) has six vacant seats — four for SC-Arundathiyar and two for ST, while the Government Stanley Medical College has 34 seats — 26 for SC, six for SC-Arundathiyar and two for ST. There were 24 seats — 19 for SC, four for SC-Arundathiyar and one for ST — at the Government Kilpauk Medical College. The Government Medical College, Omandurar Estate has 22 vacant seats — 5 for MBC, 13 for SC, three for SC-Arundathiyar and one for ST.

There are a total of 802 vacant seats in self financing medical colleges. Official sources said the 100 seats of the Christian Medical College, Vellore would be offered under the management quota, with the counselling scheduled for early next week. There are a total of 82 vacant seats in the Government Dental College, and 965 seats in self financing dental colleges.