Bill to help SC/ST appeal against caste certificates passed in West Bengal

The West Bengal Assembly on Friday passed a bill which seeks to provide the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities of the state with opportunities to appeal against cancellation, refusal and revocation of caste certificates.

The West Bengal Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Identification) (Amendment) Bill, 2022, was tabled by the Backward Classes Welfare Minister, Bulu Chik Baraik.

The bill will enable the people of the SC and ST communities to appeal against refusal to issue a caste certificate. There was no provision of appeal against cancellation, impoundment or revocation of the caste certificate. Now we have decided to provide this provision, the minister said.

The matter will be dealt with by district magistrates or additional district magistrates in the districts and by the commissioner, Presidency Division, in Kolkata.

Baraik also said that every appeal has to be disposed of within three months from the date of application.

No such appeal shall be