Controversial Trainee IAS Officer Puja Khedkar Owns Properties Worth Rs 17 Crores but Got Recruited on Non-Creamy Layer OBC Certificate
Reported by Sumit Singh & Tikam Shekhawat
Pune, 11th July 2024: Controversial trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, already under scrutiny for allegedly securing her position through questionable means, has recently been found to possess immovable property worth Rs 17 crores and an annual income of Rs 43 lakhs before her appointment. She had submitted these details as required for IAS/IPS officers.
Khedkar who is a probationary IAS officer of the 2023 batch of Maharashtra cadre, came into the limelight after Pune District Collector Dr Suhas Diwase wrote to the state government about her tantrums. Following this, Khedkar was reassigned to Washim.
However, new revelations have added to the controversy surrounding her. Khedkar is accused of obtaining her IAS position using a controversial disability certificate. Additionally, allegations have surfaced that her father, a candidate from Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi in the Nagar Dakshin Lok Sabha constituency, declared a non-creamy certificate (NCL Certificate) despite owning assets worth Rs 40 crores.
Information submitted to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which is the coordinating agency of the Central Government in personnel matters specially issues concerning recruitment and others, disclosed that Puja Khedkar held property worth Rs 17 crores and earned Rs 43 lakhs annually before joining the service.
As per the letter of the Pune District Collector, she demanded a cabin next to the collector, appropriated seniors’ antechamber, stalled on housing demands, used peon and other helpers, arrived at the office in a luxury Audi car with beacon lights, and often clashed with senior officials.
She passed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination under the ‘Visually Impaired’ category and submitted a certificate besides claiming a ‘mental illness.’ This certificate allegedly granted her special concessions, enabling her to secure the IAS position despite her low rank (841). The authenticity of Khedkar’s certificate has been questioned. She had also refused to attend the medical examination six times as per the concession given by UPSC to her.
The property declaration form submitted by Khedkar to UPSC revealed significant holdings:
– 5.81 and 5.90 gunthas in Mhalunge area, Pune
– 724 sq. ft land in Kondhwa area, Pune
– 4.74 hectares in Dhadvali
– 2.89 hectares in Nandur, Ahmednagar district
– 0.81 hectares in Pachunde
– 984 sq. ft vacant land in Saredi
Khedkar’s appointment from the OBC category raised further questions. Despite her father, Dilip Khedkar, being a former government officer and declaring assets worth Rs 40 crores during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and her mother, Manorama Khedkar, declaring assets worth Rs 15 crores, Puja Khedkar secured a non-creamy certificate. This has sparked doubts about potential political interference in her appointment.
RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar remarked, “People’s faith in various tests is eroding. Now, there is a situation where even UPSC could lose credibility. How was the appointment made when visually impaired and mentally ill? Why was the medical examination missed six times? Appointed from the OBC category, Puja’s parents have a net worth of Rs 50 crores. So how did she get a non-creamy layer certificate? Doubts are growing about the selection process of UPSC. The state and central governments should take serious note and legal action. It is very dangerous if recruitment is done through such fake certificates in administrative services. It is wrong if one is appointed in such a way by doing injustice to honest candidates.”
As the controversy deepens, the need for transparency and accountability in the appointment process becomes increasingly evident.
