Tribals including children in Odisha stage stir over certificates

JAGATSINGHPUR: Peeved over non-issuance of certificates required for availing facilities under the Slum Dwellers Act, hundreds of tribals staged a dharna in front of the Jagatsinghpur tehsil office on Tuesday.

Several tribals including children led by the president of Dalit Bikash Parishad Sankar Das sat on dharna on the day to press their demands. Sources said the district administration under the Slum Dwellers Act 2017, had in 2018 given land pattas to nearly 215 tribal families at Markandpur village of Ward no 2, College Chowk area under ward no 10 and Charchika Bazar under ward no 19. 

@CMO_Odisha @SecyChief @PradeepJenaIAS @MoSarkar5T @rdmodisha @SRC_Odisha @satyabrata1967 @RCuttack @dalai_ias
Pls direct to @CollectorJspur @JspurTahasildar to issue Caste certificates to poor ST students on land record of rights certificates under Slum dwellers act. 2017 pic.twitter.com/OFzb4MS4UE

— Shankar Das,President,Dalit Bikash Parishad (@Shankar95619879) June 6, 2023

After getting land documents, the agitators said they received ration cards and had their names included in the voter’s list. Since the tehsildar did not issue them income, residential and caste certificates, they were unable to avail of benefits like jobs or higher education, they alleged.

Kusumi Tudu from Markandpur alleged her son was not able to apply for the post of revenue inspector since he did not have a caste certificate. “My other children, too, failed to take admission for higher studies since we do not have the required certificates as yet,” she rued. The stir was later called off after Jagatsinghpur tehsildar Tarani Ranjan Ray assured them of issuing the certificates soon.