OBC mess catches up with State
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 19 2011: The Gauhati High Court has issued notices on the State Government following a petition which has challenged the validity of OBC certificates issued by the Deputy Commissioner (Imphal West) to two women who have been selected and appointed as Sub-Inspectors in the State Police Department while their fathers were serving as Government officials.

Ronita Maisnam and Potshangbam Linthoigambi are daughters of Maisnam Padmeswar, Manipur Judicial Service Grade 1 officer (now retired) and Potsangbam Manikanta Singh, retired IPS respectively and at the time the OBC certificates were issued, both the fathers were in service.

The petition was filed by one Laishram Sanatombi Devi, a candidate who was not selected in the recruitment for Sub-Inspectors and whose final selection results were announced recently.

In her petition, Sanatombi contended that the two selected women, who have been listed as respondents in the present petition, obtained their OBC certificates from the office of Deputy Commissioner (Imphal West) .

As per the Central Government's office memorandum it is thereby stated that " son (s) and daughter (s) of parent(s) serving in the State and Central Government Departments whose positional or designated status is in the category of grade-1 or class-1 is/are exempted from claiming OBC certificates as the said son (s) and daughter (s) come within the ambit of creamy layer category," the petition said.

Advocate Laimayum Sevananda Sharma , appearing on behalf of Sanatombi, argued that since the two happen to be the children of Class1 officers serving in the respective Government Departments, they cannot be granted OBC certificates because they come within the ambit of creamy layer category.

Hence the two women were selected and appointed as Sub Inspectors "on the basis of illegal or invalid OBC certificates issued by the Deputy Commissioner, Imphal West," Sevananda, a lawyer of Manipur unit of Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) further argued.

After hearing both parties, Justice Tayenjam Nandakumar Singh, in his Imphal bench sitting, issued notice of motion on the State Government respondents.

The Court asked the respondents�State of Manipur through the Commissioner (Home), Director General of police and Deputy Commissioner ( Imphal West) to give their replies within four weeks.

Manipur unit HRLN director Meihoubam Rakesh said the petition has been filed at the active initiative of the network.

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