Process of issuing caste certificates must be streamlined: Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam

The Social Welfare Minister said the process of issuing caste certificates in the national capital needed to be streamlined like other services that fall under the doorstep delivery category.
Delhi's Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam (Photo| YouTube screengrab)
Delhi's Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam (Photo| YouTube screengrab)

NEW DELHI: Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Wednesday took up people's grievances over obtaining caste certificates with district magistrates to make the process easier, according to an official statement.

Chairing a meeting on the issue, Gautam said the process of issuing caste certificates in the national capital needed to be streamlined like other services that fall under the doorstep delivery category.

"It has come to my notice that despite the doorstep delivery of government services, applicants of caste certificates still have to report to the District Magistrate offices for submission of papers. This defeats the purpose of doorstep delivery of services," Gautam was quoted as having said in a statement issued by the minister's office.

"People of Delhi should face no hassle in the process of issuing caste certificates; streamline the process like all services under doorstep delivery of services," Gautam said.

He added that the district magistrates needed to prepare guidelines to ensure that applicants do not have to visit the DM office to submit documents.

"If the documentation is complete, then the applicant should not be called to the district office. The application process should be hassle-free just like all the services under 1076 (doorstep delivery of services scheme)," the minister said.

Pointing out that several applications ended up getting rejected owing to the applicant's record being untraceable, Gautam said in such cases, the shortcoming was on the part of the department and not the applicant.

"If the record of the applicant is untraceable, then it is a shortcoming of the department and not the applicant. We should not reject these applications. In such cases, a proper guideline needs to be in place. We can physically verify such cases through witnesses like their neighbours. Their application should not be rejected in such circumstances," he said.

Gautam also raised the problems faced by children of single mothers while obtaining a caste certificate since the application demands the father's documents.

"Many women are separated or even abandoned by their husbands. In such cases, the child is unable to apply for a caste certificate as it needs the documents of the father," he said.

"This needs to be amended immediately. The documents of the separated mother should suffice while applying for the caste certificate of the child," the minister said.

Talking about the grievances of those with parents having caste certificates of other states, but are themselves trying to obtain one in Delhi, Gautam said, "the matter is under consideration by the department".

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com