Latest news with #ShalarthIDs
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
State appoints IAS-headed SIT to probe teacher recruitment scam
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Thursday formed a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the alleged teacher recruitment fraud in all aided and partially aided schools across the state. The SIT has also been asked to find out the discrepancies in the existing procedure of approving teaching and non-teaching staff. (HT Photo for representation) Pune divisional commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar will head the three-member team. Manoj Sharma, inspector general of police (law and order), and Harun Attar, joint director of the education directorate, are the other members. The SIT has been tasked with investigating all teacher recruitments conducted since 2012, according to a government resolution (GR) issued by the state school education department on Thursday. The team has been asked to submit its report in the next three months, stated the order signed by the department's principal secretary, Ranjit Singh Deol. The recruitment fraud, also known as the Shalarth ID scam, first surfaced in Nagpur, where 580 fake teachers and non-teaching staff were found to have been recruited in 12 government-aided schools by allegedly using fake signatures and documents. Senior school education department officials are allegedly involved in the fraud. After the Nagpur fraud came to light, similar complaints were filed in other parts of the state as well. Shalarth is a centralised portal of the state government to manage payroll and service records of staff in government and government-aided schools, including teachers. Shalarth ID refers to the teacher identification number allotted to such staffers. Investigators found that fake identities were used to disburse salaries through the Shalarth portal. The matter was discussed in the state assembly during the monsoon session of the state legislature, with state school education minister Dada Bhuse assuring that an investigation would be launched. According to the terms of reference mentioned in the GR, the SIT will examine the transfers of teachers and non-teaching staff 'from non-grant-in-aid positions to grant-in-aid positions in all the aided and partially aided primary or secondary or higher secondary schools across all the divisional offices in the state.' The SIT has also been asked to find out the discrepancies in the existing procedure of approving teaching and non-teaching staff, and suggest reforms. 'The special investigation team should investigate all the above-mentioned issues for the period from 2012 to the present and submit its report to the government within three months,' the GR added. Govt officers announce strike Meanwhile, more than 400 senior officers from the state's school education department have launched an indefinite strike starting Friday, alleging harassment and unfair treatment by investigative agencies over issues related to Shalarth IDs and other school recognition matters. Members of the All Maharashtra Education Service Gazetted Officers Association claimed they were being unfairly targeted and that action was being taken against them in matters unrelated to their responsibilities. In some cases, they said that arrests and disciplinary actions were carried out without any prior inquiry or show-cause notice. According to the government officers, three deputy directors and two education officers were arrested without proper procedures and later suspended, even though they were cooperating with the investigation. No criminal charges have been proven, yet suspensions have been imposed, leading to a serious drop in morale across the department, they said. 'This kind of treatment of honest officers is demoralising and is affecting day-to-day functioning. The government has a duty to protect its honest staff. Arrests without inquiry and illegal suspensions must stop,' the association said in a statement.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Another state-level SIT for Shalarth scam probe
Nagpur: The state govt has established one more Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the fake Shalarth ID case, which has been creating a stir across the state. The committee formed under the chairmanship of Pune divisional commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar will have special inspector general of police (law and order) Dr Manojkumar Sharma as member and deputy director of Pune education commissionerate Harun Atar as member secretary. The scam of creating fake Shalarth IDs to obtain teaching jobs and getting employment based on them had come to light in Nagpur. Investigation had begun by appointing 2 different SITs. As it became evident that the scam was statewide, principal secretary of school education department Ranjitsingh Deol has established a 3-member statewide SIT. The investigation team led by Pulkundwar will investigate the scam that occurred across the entire state including Nagpur, Nashik, Beed, Latur and other districts. The previously established SIT headed by deputy commissioner of police Nityanand Jha had created a stir in the education department by arresting 2 education officers, Siddheshwar Kaluse and Rohini Kumbhar. Teachers' associations and employees' unions had called for a statewide work stoppage agitation. The investigation team under Pulkundwar's chairmanship will investigate the teacher appointments made since 2012. The committee will submit its investigation report to the govt within 3 months. The responsibility of providing necessary manpower and technical assistance for the inquiry has been entrusted to the education commissioner, Pune. The first local SIT was established on May 19 to investigate the Shalarth ID scam. Then deputy commissioner of police Zone 2 Rahul Madane was appointed as head of the team. Madane's team included assistant commissioner of police Meshram, senior police inspector of Cyber police station Baliram Sutar, senior police inspector of Sadar police station Manish Thakre, Abhijit Chikalikar, assistant police inspector of Cyber Cell Vivek Lamture, Dattatray Ninave, Amol Dodalwar, Sanjay Yadav and Jitendra Pathade. While investigation by the first SIT was underway, fake Shalarth ID cases were registered at Jalgaon and Nashik too. Considering the scope of this state-level scam, special inspector general of police (law and order) Dr Manojkumar Sharma established a state-level SIT on July 28. Nagpur deputy commissioner of police Nityanand Jha was appointed as head of this SIT. This team included assistant commissioner of police, senior police inspectors from Cyber and Sadar police stations, assistant police inspector and 4 police personnel. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Hindustan Times
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Maha education officers threaten indefinite strike from August 8 over Shalarth fraud arrests
Pune: A massive protest erupted across Maharashtra's education department on Friday as hundreds of officers and employees observed a mass leave in protest against the arrests of officials in the alleged Nagpur Shalarth ID fraud. Senior officials, including directors and gazetted officers, participated in a protest held outside the Central Building in Pune. The protesters warned of an indefinite mass leave agitation starting August 8 if their demands are not addressed. Maha education officers threaten indefinite strike from August 8 over Shalarth fraud arrests A Shalarth ID serves as a unique digital identifier assigned to teachers and staff working in government and aided schools across Maharashtra. It is essential for managing salary disbursements, accessing service records, and availing employment-related benefits through the state's centralised payroll system. In Nagpur, several teachers and staff members allegedly obtained bogus Shalarth IDs by paying bribes to school managements and education officers. Investigations suggest that some of them actively colluded with officials to create fake identities and open fraudulent bank accounts, receiving a cut from the misappropriated government funds. On July 18, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the state assembly that the estimated scale of the fraud could range between ₹1,000 and ₹ 3,000 crore. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the matter. In the wake of the revelations, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse has suspended Mumbai's deputy director Sandeep Sangave, while Ulhas Narad, the deputy director of education in Nagpur, has been arrested. The protest was triggered by ongoing police action in the Shalarth ID fraud case, where, till now, 17 officers from the education department have been arrested. The case involves allegations of creating 547 fake Shalarth IDs to embezzle around 100 crore. Among those who joined the protest were primary education director Sharad Gosavi, secondary education director Mahesh Palkar, and planning director Krishnakumar Patil, along with several other senior gazetted officers. The protest was organised by the All Maharashtra Gazetted Education Officers' Association. During the protest, education commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh held discussions with association leaders, but no resolution was reached. The association reiterated that unless the government provides clear assurances and meets its demands, a full-scale indefinite strike would begin on August 8. Sheshrao Bade, president of the Akhil Maharashtra Rajya Shikshan Seva Rajpatrit Adhikari Sangh, said, 'We are not against inquiries, but justice cannot be sacrificed for the sake of urgency. Our demand is simply to ensure a fair and transparent process before taking punitive action.' The agitation has received strong backing from several other bodies, including the extension officers' Union, the Headmaster's Federation, the Non-Gazetted officers' Association, and various teachers' unions. L
Economic Times
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
How Maharashtra education officers created thousands of ghost teachers to siphon off Rs 3,000 crore
A major scam has been unearthed in Maharashtra's education sector. Officials allegedly created fake teacher identities on the Shalarth portal. This was done to embezzle public funds. The estimated amount is between Rs 2,000 to 3,000 crore. Some arrests have been made. A Special Investigation Team is probing the matter. The scam involved multiple zones including Mumbai and Nagpur. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What is a Shalarth ID? How the scam was carried out Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Weaknesses in the system Bribes for backdated dues Extent of the scam and official action Need for stronger checks Senior education officials in Maharashtra have been accused of creating thousands of fake teacher identities on the government's salary and HR portal, Shalarth, to siphon off public money. The scam, which involves both Mumbai and Nagpur zones, could be worth Rs 2,000 to 3,000 crore, according to government estimates. Some arrests have already been made and the state government has announced a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter, a TOI report stated.A Shalarth ID is a unique identity issued to government and aided school teachers and staff in Maharashtra. It is required to access salary, benefits, and employment deputy director of education Ram Pawar said, "Once there is a vacancy and the school has selected the candidate, the school issues an appointment order. The candidate then takes this appointment order to the deputy director of education of that zone, who approves it and provides the candidate with a Shalarth ID and password. This ID is used to access salary and benefits, without it, the candidate cannot be paid."The Shalarth portal also stores financial and personnel data for all education employees in the to Pawar, the authority to issue Shalarth IDs rests with the deputy director of education. The scam involved issuing bogus IDs to fictitious individuals. Bank accounts were opened using fake documents and photos, and salaries were withdrawn in their have also been accused of issuing Shalarth IDs to unqualified individuals who secured jobs as teachers and headmasters after allegedly paying bribes ranging from Rs 20 to 30 lakh to school management and government government-run schools have tighter oversight, aided schools in Maharashtra operate with limited scrutiny. This gap allowed some officials to exploit the system by appointing unqualified people, creating fake job posts, and withdrawing salaries in their Nagpur, fake IDs were allegedly given to teachers and staff who bribed school management and education officers. Teachers and other staff have also been accused of helping officials generate fake IDs and bank accounts in return for a share of the siphoned addition to fake appointments, officials allegedly demanded bribes from genuine teachers to release backdated dues and salary increments after July 18, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the state assembly that the scam may involve Rs 2,000-3,000 crore. A Special Investigation Team has been set up to school education minister Dada Bhuse has suspended Mumbai's deputy director Sandeep Sangave. Ulhas Narad, deputy director of education for Nagpur, has been education official Ram Pawar said, "An earnest effort must be made to examine records. The process cannot be top-down. Whatever the upper management decides, the onus must be on field officers who need to conduct rigorous checks."
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
How Maharashtra education officers created thousands of ghost teachers to siphon off Rs 3,000 crore
A major scam has been unearthed in Maharashtra's education sector. Officials allegedly created fake teacher identities on the Shalarth portal. This was done to embezzle public funds. The estimated amount is between Rs 2,000 to 3,000 crore. Some arrests have been made. A Special Investigation Team is probing the matter. The scam involved multiple zones including Mumbai and Nagpur. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What is a Shalarth ID? How the scam was carried out Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Weaknesses in the system Bribes for backdated dues Extent of the scam and official action Need for stronger checks Senior education officials in Maharashtra have been accused of creating thousands of fake teacher identities on the government's salary and HR portal, Shalarth, to siphon off public money. The scam, which involves both Mumbai and Nagpur zones, could be worth Rs 2,000 to 3,000 crore, according to government estimates. Some arrests have already been made and the state government has announced a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter, a TOI report stated.A Shalarth ID is a unique identity issued to government and aided school teachers and staff in Maharashtra. It is required to access salary, benefits, and employment deputy director of education Ram Pawar said, "Once there is a vacancy and the school has selected the candidate, the school issues an appointment order. The candidate then takes this appointment order to the deputy director of education of that zone, who approves it and provides the candidate with a Shalarth ID and password. This ID is used to access salary and benefits, without it, the candidate cannot be paid."The Shalarth portal also stores financial and personnel data for all education employees in the to Pawar, the authority to issue Shalarth IDs rests with the deputy director of education. The scam involved issuing bogus IDs to fictitious individuals. Bank accounts were opened using fake documents and photos, and salaries were withdrawn in their have also been accused of issuing Shalarth IDs to unqualified individuals who secured jobs as teachers and headmasters after allegedly paying bribes ranging from Rs 20 to 30 lakh to school management and government government-run schools have tighter oversight, aided schools in Maharashtra operate with limited scrutiny. This gap allowed some officials to exploit the system by appointing unqualified people, creating fake job posts, and withdrawing salaries in their Nagpur, fake IDs were allegedly given to teachers and staff who bribed school management and education officers. Teachers and other staff have also been accused of helping officials generate fake IDs and bank accounts in return for a share of the siphoned addition to fake appointments, officials allegedly demanded bribes from genuine teachers to release backdated dues and salary increments after July 18, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the state assembly that the scam may involve Rs 2,000-3,000 crore. A Special Investigation Team has been set up to school education minister Dada Bhuse has suspended Mumbai's deputy director Sandeep Sangave. Ulhas Narad, deputy director of education for Nagpur, has been education official Ram Pawar said, "An earnest effort must be made to examine records. The process cannot be top-down. Whatever the upper management decides, the onus must be on field officers who need to conduct rigorous checks."
