Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “The chancellor of the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), Mahbubul Hoque, fraudulently took an OBC certificate from the Karimganj district. After noticing discrepancies in Hoque’s documents, the district administration cancelled the certificate. However, no action was taken against him.”
The Chief Minister said that people may consider Hoque as one of the academicians. “However, people are not aware of the fact that he had to get a fake OBC certificate, which had to be cancelled in 1996 when the forgery was detected. However, the then Karimganj district authority did not take any action against him. I have now instructed the Karimganj District Commissioner to register an FIR against Hoque.”
The letter received by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) from the Kamrimganj DC on August 27, 2024, says that ‘the OBC certificate issued to Hoque on August 24, 1992, which was counter-signed by the then Deputy Commissioner of Karimganj. However, on close examination of the caste issue register, it is found that the OBC certificate of the above-mentioned person was cancelled on August 20, 1996. The copy of the cancellation order/certificate cannot be traced out as yet. However, as per the note seen in the issue register, it is to be noted that the said person is neither Maimal nor from the Kiran community and that his OBC certificate stands withdrawn by the district administration with effect from August 1996’.
The Chief Minister criticised the USTM authority for the recent flash flood in Guwahati, saying that due to large-scale deforestation in the varsity campus, Guwahati faced severe waterlogging.
Also read: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Criticizes USTM's Mecca-like Gate (sentinelassam.com)
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