Controversial IAS officer Pooja Khedkar
IAS officer Pooja Khedkar’s job is in jeopardy due to her actions in Maharashtra and her dismissal is hanging in the balance. He is accused of submitting fake disability and other backward class (OBC) certificates to become an IAS. The central government is investigating the matter. Meanwhile, Pooja’s father defended his daughter saying that she had not done anything illegal.
Pooja’s father, who became an IAS officer through a fake certificate, said on Sunday that he had done nothing wrong or illegal. Dilip Khedkar in an interview to a TV channel said how wrong it is if a person with limited resources owns 4 to 5 acres of land and his property is valued at crores of rupees based on valuation. “The determination of the creamy layer is based on income rather than property valuation.”
The luxury car belonged to a relative: father Dileep
Defending his daughter, he said, “Pooja used a ‘luxury’ car for official work as she did not have any government car available. She also sought permission from her seniors for this. The car is not hers but belongs to a relative. No one cheated by red light.Pooja is a 2022 batch IAS officer.She got 841st rank in civil service exam.She was sent to Pune last year as a probationary officer.
Pooja’s father Dilip Khedkar, a former Maharashtra government employee, claimed that she actually belonged to the non-creamy layer category. However, Khedkar tried his luck in the Lok Sabha elections that ended last month and declared assets worth Rs 40 crore in the election affidavit.
… Then I will resign my daughter
Among the many allegations against the young IAS officer is that while a senior officer allowed Pooja to use a room as his office, he also removed the name plate of that senior officer in the Pune office. Regarding this, Dileep says, “Pooja used his cabin only after taking permission from his senior officer. Is it written anywhere that a young ‘interne’ IAS officer should not be given a separate cabin? If this is written I will resign from the job.
Clarifying the allegations of misuse of disability related certificates, Dilip Khedkar said that the government sets a standard so that one’s disability can be determined. Her daughter meets all the criteria related to disability.
Pooja recently came into the limelight when she demanded a separate ‘cabin’ and ‘staff’ during her posting in Pune, in which case she was transferred from Pune to Washim district. Not only this, he was accused of securing a place in the IAS by appearing in the civil services examination under the creamy layer (annual income below Rs 8 lakh) and visually impaired category and producing a certificate of mental illness.
