The Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government in West Bengal has decided to conduct a re-verification of all caste certificates, including those distributed through Duare Sarkar outreach camps, issued in the state since 2011, news agency PTI reported, citing a senior bureaucrat.
This comes amid allegations of large-scale irregularities during the tenure of the previous Trinamool Congress regime.
On Friday, the Backward Classes Welfare Department of Bengal issued letters to all district magistrates directing them to begin the re-verification process, the senior bureaucrat said.
The new Bengal government order flagged the “authenticity and genuineness” of several caste certificates, the TOI report said. It also raised concerns that some second-generation caste certificates may have been issued on the basis of disputed documents.
According to the Times of India (TOI) report, the directive covers nearly 1.69 crore caste certificates issued over the past 15 years, including around 1 crore Scheduled Caste (SC) certificates, 21 lakh Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates and 48 lakh Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates.
Of these, as many as 47.8 lakh certificates were issued through 10 phases of the state government’s Duare Sarkar camps, TOI reported.
Issuing authorities have been asked to carry out the re-verification exercise in line with prevailing norms, given the “importance and sensitivity” of the matter.
‘Fake caste certificates issued…’
Allegations of corruption and irregularities in the issuance of caste certificates had repeatedly surfaced during the previous Mamata Banerjee-led government's tenure.
Kshudiram Tudu, Bengal's Tribal Development and Backward Classes Welfare Minister, said many fake and irregular SC, ST and OBC certificates had been issued during that period.
"During the Trinamool Congress regime, a large number of fake and irregular SC, ST and OBC certificates were issued. Many people availed the benefits using these certificates," Tudu said.
The minister had earlier stated that strict action would be taken against officials under whose supervision such certificates were issued.
According to the TOI report, the Bengal government has also ordered fresh scrutiny of caste certificates issued to individuals whose names were removed from electoral rolls during the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
