Sambalpur: No Caste Certificate provided to students without Land Records (Jamipattta)
In Sambalpur, students belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) require caste certificates to avail various government benefits in education. These certificates are issued by the local Tehsildar following a prescribed procedure. However, SC and ST students in Sambalpur are facing difficulties in obtaining these certificates.
Children from families without land records (Jamipattta) are being denied caste certificates. Numerous complaints have been reported regarding this issue. In Sambalpur Municipal Corporation area, there are over 170 settlements, with a majority of the population residing on government land. Many of these residents are from SC and ST communities. When applying for caste certificates for their children’s education, they submit the required documents, including signatures from local residents and Anganwadi workers. However, these applications are reportedly not being accepted. Even public service centers are refusing applications, stating that caste certificates cannot be issued without land records. Poor families, unable to apply online directly, are resorting to hiring lawyers to help with their applications, resulting in additional expenses.
Recently, Rikita Oram from Charbati area applied for a caste certificate for her child’s school admission. Due to the lack of personal land, she could not provide the necessary land records, and her application was rejected. This is just one example among many similar cases of rejected applications in Sambalpur. Lawyer Sheshadev Mishra mentioned that earlier, applications supported by Panchanama (a local investigation report) were accepted after verification by local revenue officers. However, in recent months, the Tehsildar has been rejecting such applications, causing many students to miss out on obtaining caste certificates.
When asked about this issue, Tehsildar Manoj Prabhakar Kujur explained that since people from various regions come to Sambalpur, local residents might not be aware of their actual caste. Therefore, he advised those without permanent land records in Sambalpur to apply for caste certificates in their native places. This situation highlights the need for alternative arrangements to facilitate easier access to caste certificates for SC and ST students residing in Sambalpur.
