Landless people in no position to get OBC certificates
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, November 26 2021: While certificate to prove belongingness to Other Backward Classes (OBC) is one of the essential documents especially for students while seeking admission in educational institutions or for unemployed youth applying for jobs, a flawed policy of the government has left children of several landless people without any hope of getting possession of the certificate.

As per existing guidelines, one has to produce up-to-date Jamabandi (land holding document) of his/her family in order to get an OBC certificate.

Other documents needed are identity proof of the applicants, voter ID of their parents, latest salary slip for salaried parents, latest bank statement with pension book for pensioner parents, self-declaration of not belonging to creamy layer among others.

A landless applicant can almost easily produce the rest of the documents but not the up-to-date Jamabandi.

Some people told The People's Chronicle that there are several families in the state, who do not own any land plot and they are either staying in rent or in unoccupied government land.

Besides, there are many orphans in children's home and these people are in no position to produce land holding document.

When enquired about any alternative, officials in the DC office reportedly told them that land holding document is mandatory for issuing the OBC certificate and no other documents can be the substitute.

With such flawed policy, there are several individuals from poor families, who could not get benefits oi OBC.

They questioned the reason for making it mandatory when the same document is not required for getting SC and ST certificates.

They appealed to the government to make necessary amendment in the policy and make an alternative so that the landless individuals could also get the OBC certificate.

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