Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Maharashtra government has submitted a comprehensive report to the Centre concerning trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who is currently embroiled in controversy over allegations of power misuse and misrepresentation in her UPSC candidature.
The General Administration Department of Maharashtra, led by Additional Chief Secretary Nitin Garade, forwarded the report to the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) following a week-long investigation. The report has also been shared with a one-member committee established by the central government.
Manoj Dwivedi, the additional secretary in the DoPT, has been assigned to complete the investigation within two weeks.
The report compiled by the Maharashtra government consists of documents from various agencies scrutinizing the claims made by Ms. Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer, prior to her joining the civil services. Key among these claims is her assertion of Other Backward Classes (OBC) status, which has come under question. Additionally, she had claimed several disabilities to avail concessions in the UPSC selection process but reportedly refused mandatory medical tests to verify these claims.
Controversy surrounding Ms. Khedkar intensified when allegations surfaced that she did not qualify for the OBC non-creamy layer status due to her father, Dilip Khedkar, a former civil servant, possessing assets worth ?40 crore. Further allegations emerged when she was observed using a siren on her private Audi and making demands for a separate house and car, privileges not granted to junior officers.
The Maharashtra government’s report also details instances of her inappropriate behavior at the Pune Collectorate, where she was posted. It highlights that she installed an amber beacon and the state government’s logo on her personal Audi, which she used for official duties. Additionally, the report notes a dispute with a senior official over her use of the car and her occupation of the Additional Collector Ajay More’s cabin.
Sources indicate that Ms. Khedkar could face dismissal if found guilty of the allegations. Criminal action may also be pursued if it is proven that she concealed facts and misrepresented her eligibility.
Ms. Khedkar ranked 841 in the all-India UPSC exam. The Union Public Service Commission had challenged her selection, and a tribunal ruled against her in February 2023. Subsequently, she has been recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, with her training currently on hold.
“You are hereby relieved from the District Training Programme of the State Government of Maharashtra,” stated the General Administration Department. She has been instructed to “join the academy at the earliest,” but no later than July 23.
Ms. Khedkar was earlier transferred to Washim from Pune amidst the serious allegations. The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration trains IAS cadre civil servants and conducts the foundation course for Group-A central civil services.
