Bhubaneswar, Jan 24 (IANS): The Odisha government on Monday asked all degree colleges to verify disability certificate of students admitted under the Person with Disability (PwD) quota in the last three academic years.

Higher Education Department principal secretary Saswat Mishra wrote to the principals of all government, non-government, self-financing colleges in this regard.

The principals have been asked for verification and authentication of disability certificate of such students for the academic session 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22.

The department has taken this move in the wake of unearth of 'fake admission' in Bhadrak Autonomous College of Odisha.

"It has come to the notice of this department that in Bhadrak (Autonomous) College, Bhadrak, students took admission in recent years under THE PwD quota submitting fake disability certificates. The matter is under enquiry and strict action will be taken against such students after the enquiry," Mishra said in the letter.

In order to detect such malpractices elsewhere, the principals were directed to verify the disability certificates of the physically handicapped and orthopedically handicapped (PH-OH) students through chief district medical officer (CDMO) of the district concerned.

After verification, if students are found to have taken admission with fake certificates, the admission of such students will be cancelled immediately. The college authorities were also directed to lodge FIR against such students.