- Hearing on 19 casesHearing completed in 11 cases – instructions to issue ordersA joint team will investigate 55 Baiga cases received from the National Tribal Commission.
An important meeting of the high-level certification scrutiny committee was held today under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary of Tribal and Scheduled Caste Development Department, Shri Sonmani Bora, in the meeting hall of Tribal Research and Training Institute, Nava Raipur. A total of 19 cases were reviewed and heard in the meeting, in which a total of 07 cases were kept for hearing and 12 cases were presented for consideration. Out of the total 07 cases kept for hearing, instructions were given to complete the hearing on 04 cases and issue orders, the vigilance team was directed to provide another opportunity on 02 cases and to submit the social status again on 01 case.
Present in the meeting were Commissioner, Tribal and Scheduled Caste Development, Shri D. Rahul Venkat (Member), Director, Tribal Research and Training Institute, Smt. Hina Animesh Netam (Member Secretary), Director, Directorate of Public Instruction, Shri Rituraj Raghuvanshi (Member), Director, Land Records, Shri Vineet Nandanwar, Joint Director, TRTI, Smt. Gayatri Netam (Officer in Charge, Caste Investigation Cell), Smt. Rama Uikey (Member) along with Shri Emmanuel Lakra (DSP), Shri Jitendra Gupta and Smt. Anjani Bhagat of Caste Investigation Cell etc.
Of the 12 cases listed for the committee’s consideration, orders were issued on two of the cases based on merits and five based on positive vigilance reports. In one case (55 Baiga) received from the National Commission for Tribes, the Gaurela-Pandra-Marwahi and Sub-Divisional Officers (Revenue) Masturi, the Assistant Commissioners of both districts, and the Vigilance Cell of the High-Level Certification Scrutiny Committee were directed to jointly visit the respective districts for a thorough investigation of the cases, verifying/examining the misal records, genealogies, and social status. The committee decided to provide a hearing for the remaining four cases. Most importantly, two of the 12 cases were heard via video conferencing. This effort by the department certainly demonstrates equal justice and procedural transparency.
It is noteworthy that the High-Level Certification Scrutiny Committee meets regularly to resolve cases related to caste certificates and social status. Cases related to the Honorable Supreme Court and High Court are also being heard in a transparent and timely manner, as per the rules, and are being resolved expeditiously. A large number of parties and advocates attended today’s meeting to present their views.
It is worth noting that a seven-member high-level certification scrutiny committee has been formed under the guidelines provided in the order passed by the Honorable Supreme Court and the provisions of the Chhattisgarh Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (Regulation of Certification of Social Status) Act, 2013. The committee, functioning in a quasi-judicial capacity, is ensuring fair and timely decisions.