MUMBAI: A day after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a high-level probe into the issuance of minority status certificates to schools, the government on Tuesday transferred deputy secretary Milind Shenoy, accused of signing a spate of such certificates in two days, out of the minority welfare department. Shenoy has not been given another posting yet.
“CM Fadnavis and Dy CM Sunetra Pawar have ordered a probe and strict action against the culprits in the case,” said an official from Pawar’s office. “To ensure a free and fair investigation, deputy secretary Milind Shenoy has been moved out of the department.” After the matter was exposed in the media on Monday, Shenoy did not attend office. On Tuesday, he was transferred.
Fadnavis on Tuesday told the media that the people involved in wrongly issuing minority status certificates to schools would be punished. A day earlier, he stayed the issuance of these certificates to schools and directed chief secretary Rajesh Agarwal to conduct an investigation and ensure strict action against those found guilty.
According to officials in Mantralaya, Shenoy, who allegedly signed the certificates a day after the death of Dy CM Ajit Pawar, will be probed. Pawar was in charge of the minority welfare department, and government offices were closed in mourning on the day Shenoy issued the certificates.