‘Eligible for EWS quota, minister doesn’t pay for my expenses’

LUCKNOW: Arun Dwivedi, brother of Uttar Pradesh basic education minister Satish Chand Dwivedi, on Tuesday said he did not submit any fake documents for his appointment to the post of assistant professor at Siddharth University, Kapilvastu under economically weaker section (EWS) quota.

“My brother Satish Chand Dwivedi is a minister in UP government. We take pride in it. But he doesn’t pay for my household expenses. And to drag his name just because he is a minister is not right. I have done my schooling from government primary school and have done PhD before joining as teacher in various private institutions,” said Arun, the minister’s brother.

“Nobody asked about my brother when I applied for government job as an unemployed youth worker because he was not a minister. Now that I have got the job on the basis of my qualifications, people are raising questions to malign our image,” he said.

He said, “We are four brothers and each one of us have their own occupation. We don’t have that big ancestral property. As a result, I was eligible to get EWS certificate which is issued by the administration to those whose yearly income is below Rs 8 lakh. Anyone who has doubt about my appointment is free to approach me or the university to get more details.”

He explained that the EWS certificate is issued by the government and is valid for one financial year.

“It was issued to me in 2019-20 year when I was working in private institutions on ad hoc basis where we are paid far less. In July 2020, I resigned and was sitting at home without a job. Nobody then came to find out what the minister’s brother is doing,” he said.

Vice chancellor of Siddharth University, Kapilvastu, Prof Surendra Dubey on Monday confirmed that chancellor governor Anandiben Patel had sought a report about the appointment of state’s basic education minister’s younger brother in the university and said he had sent his report to the governor.

The appointment had created a political storm with the opposition seeking minister’s resignation on the issue.

Arun’s wife is also an assistant professor in another institution, reason why opposition parties claimed that his appointment under EWS quota wasn’t justified.

Social activist Nutan Thakur has complained to governor Anandiben Patel.

Nobody asked about my brother when I applied for govt job as an unemployed youth worker because he was not a minister.

ARUN DWIVEDI, brother of UP minister