Create common portal for issuing cast certs, says Madras HC

CHENNAI: Concerned over the red-tape culture in issuing community certificates for the marginalised sections in the society, the Madras High Court has asked the Tamil Nadu government to set up a centralised system for distributing such certificates and issued a set of directives to be followed while doing it. The first bench of Acting Chief Justice D Krishnakumar and Justice PB Balaji, while passing the order recently, said, “The process of applying for community certificate; verifying of the communal status; and, issuing of community certificate shall be centralised by creating a common portal governing the entire State of Tamil Nadu, thereby enabling the applicant to apply to the authority concerned in the district he/she resides, without relegating him/her to the native district.” It added the aforesaid facility should also make a provision enabling the competent authority in the other district to verify/enquire qua the communal status of the applicant based on the communal status of her parents or siblings or ancestors who resided in that district, irrespective of the present place of residence of the applicant. The bench also directed the government to fix a ‘time schedule’ for completing the entire procedure, without causing any unnecessary delay, so as to enable the applicant to have access to education and employment opportunities.