AP Govt Launches Crackdown on Veterinary Assistants Appointed With Fake Certificates
AP begins a major crackdown on 12,000 veterinary assistants suspected of using fake certificates, ordering statewide verification and strict legal action.
Officials begin certificate verification for veterinary assistants in Andhra Pradesh amid a massive crackdown on fake educational documents.
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has initiated strict action against Veterinary Assistants (Livestock Assistants) who allegedly secured their posts using forged educational certificates. The verification of original documents is set to begin shortly across all districts.
An early document presented by the Andhra Pradesh State Veterinary Council has surfacing critical issues, suggesting that approximately 12,000 Veterinary Assistants who were recruited during 2019 to 2024 under the preceding YSRCP regime may have obtained their positions through the use of counterfeit, altered, or back-dated documents.
Council chairman Dr. P.V. Lakshmaiah recommended immediate dismissal of all ineligible appointees and urged the government to register criminal cases against those involved. He termed it the largest certificate fraud in the state’s history, calling it a “daylight robbery of government jobs” and a betrayal of farmers relying on certified veterinary support.
Dr. Lakshmaiah said that once 100% certificate verification begins, every impostor will be removed from service and prosecuted without exception, adding that no political influence or pressure would be entertained. He stated that the scam endangered animal health and the livelihood of farmers for five years, and assured that the department would be fully cleansed to restore public trust.
Following the Council’s recommendations, the Animal Husbandry Department has issued urgent instructions to district collectors and joint directors to collect original certificates from all Veterinary Assistants appointed in village and ward secretariats between 2019 and 2024. Verification with universities and educational boards will commence soon, and officials warned that anyone found guilty will face termination and criminal charges.
