CHENNAI: The state government has directed all district collectors to ensure the timely issuance of community certificates to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) applicants, warning of departmental action against officials in case of delays.
As per the guidelines, issued under the Manual for Issuance and Verification of SC/ST Community Certificates and notified through a G.O. in August 2023, tahsildars must issue community certificates to SC applicants within two days of receiving an application, while Revenue Divisional Officers (RDOs) must issue certificates to ST applicants within one week. If a claim requires detailed verification, inquiry and subsequent action must be taken within 15 days, while keeping the applicant informed.
Minister for Social Justice Vanni Arasu R, in a post on ‘X’, said the directive was issued on the instructions of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to address the delays faced by SC and ST communities in obtaining community certificates.