Is Corruption in the Family Ruining the Future of IAS Trainee Puja Khedkar?
The controversy surrounding IAS trainee Puja Khedkar has garnered significant attention, highlighting broader issues within the administrative setup and allegations of corruption involving her family. This incident brings into focus the intricate connections between personal misconduct and systemic administrative challenges.
Puja Khedkar, who secured an All India rank of 821 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams, has been accused of several improprieties, including the misuse of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons With Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) quotas.
Questions were raised about her eligibility for the OBC non-creamy layer category, with allegations that her family’s wealth exceeded the stipulated limits.
Activist Vijay Kumbhar pointed out that her father, Dilip Khedkar, declared assets worth ₹40 crores, far exceeding the permissible limit for OBC non-creamy layer candidates.
Additionally, there were claims that Puja Khedkar forged disability certificates to clear the civil services exam. This accusation further tarnished her image and cast doubt on the legitimacy of her selection.
The controversies are not limited to Puja Khedkar alone. Her father, Dilip Khedkar, a retired Director of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), has a tainted record.
Documents accessed by India Today TV revealed that Dilip Khedkar was suspended twice on allegations of bribery and corruption during his tenure with the Maharashtra government.
He was accused of extorting money from small entrepreneurs, demanding bribes to restore utility services, and harassing businesses that refused to comply with his demands. These allegations led to his suspension and a departmental inquiry, culminating in his compulsory retirement in 2023.
His corruption and misconduct history exacerbated the scrutiny on Puja Khedkar’s selection into the IAS. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Pune initiated an inquiry into the unaccounted wealth owned by the Khedkar family, further complicating the situation.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar criticized the current administrative setup, attributing part of the controversy to the deteriorating dialogue between the administration and the public.
He lamented the shift from a cooperative dialogue to a directive-based approach, which he believes has contributed to such controversies.
Pawar stated, “In this country, three states were famous for their good administration: Gujarat, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu. Earlier, we too were good. We had a good dialogue with the administration. But nowadays, this dialogue is missing. There are only directions that can be seen these days.”
Amid these controversies, Puja Khedkar filed a harassment complaint against Pune district collector Suhas Diwase. She alleged that Diwase harassed her during her probation tenure at the Pune district collectorate. This complaint was transferred to the Pune city police for further investigation.
Following these allegations, she was transferred from Pune to Washim district, and her IAS training was put on hold pending further action.