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Bengal Orders Re-Verification of 1.69 Crore Backward Class Certificates

The West Bengal Backward Class Development Department has directed District Magistrates to re-verify all 1.69 crore Backward Class certificates issued in the last 15 years. The move follows detection of anomalies in certificate issuance during the previous Mamata Banerjee-led regime. Legal action will be taken against those who procured certificates fraudulently. The directive comes after the Calcutta High Court and NCBC struck down illegal OBC lists in the state.

Key Points: Bengal Re-Verifies 1.69 Crore Backward Class Certificates

  • Bengal govt orders re-verification of all Backward Class certificates from last 15 years
  • Around 1.69 crore certificates to be checked for fraud
  • Action against officials found issuing fake certificates
  • Follows Calcutta High Court & NCBC rulings on illegal OBC lists
2 min read

Bengal govt directs DMs to re-verify all Backward Class certificates granted in last 15 years

West Bengal orders DMs to re-verify all SC, ST & OBC certificates from 2011-2026 after detecting anomalies, following court & NCBC rulings.

"As per the direction of the West Bengal Backward Class Development Department all these 1.69 crore Backward Class certificates will be re-verified - state secretariat insider"

Kolkata, May 16

The West Bengal Backward Class Development Department had directed District Magistrates to re-verify all Backward Class certificates, including Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Class documents issued in their respective districts in the last 15 years from 2011 to 2026, that is the three terms of the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in the state.

Insiders from the current state secretariat of Nabanna said that clear instructions have gone from the department to District Magistrates to initiate strong legal action against those found procuring OBC certificates illegally by furnishing fake documents.

It is learnt that during these 15 years, around 1.69 crore Backward Class certificates have been issued in West Bengal, which include around one crore SC certificates, 21 lakh ST certificates and 48 lakh OBC certificates.

"As per the direction of the West Bengal Backward Class Development Department all these 1.69 crore Backward Class certificates will be re-verified by the District Magistrates concerned to ensure that no one is able to enjoy certain privileges like reservation," said the state secretariat insider.

It is learnt that the department issued this direction after detecting anomalies in issuance of certain Backward Class certificates during the previous regime.

The District Magistrates have also been advised to take action against any state government official found guilty of issuing caste certificates to wrong persons against some consideration.

To recall, in May 2024, Calcutta High Court's Division Bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Rajasekhar Mantha dismissed all OBC certificates issued in West Bengal since 2010, stating that OBC lists prepared after 2010 in the state were illegal.

Again, in December last year, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) struck down 35 castes from West Bengal in the central OBC list, all from the Muslim community.

The BJP, as the principal Opposition party in West Bengal before the regime change after the recently concluded Assembly polls, had been constantly accusing the previous Mamata Banerjee-led regime of manipulating the OBC criteria to include only Muslims in the new communities to be included in the OBC list.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While I support transparency, I worry about genuine beneficiaries facing harassment during this process. Many poor families who genuinely belong to backward classes might get caught in red tape. The government should ensure a smooth mechanism where legitimate certificates are quickly cleared and only fraud cases are pursued. Justice should be swift but not burdensome for the truly deserving.
V
Vikram M
Finally some accountability! The Calcutta High Court had already declared those OBC certificates illegal, and the NCBC struck down 35 castes. The previous government was using reservation as a political tool to appease vote banks. This re-verification will restore the integrity of the reservation system. At least the new government is correcting past mistakes.
R
Rohit P
I'm all for rooting out corruption, but let's be real - this re-verification of 1.69 crore certificates will take years, if not decades. The administration already has limited bandwidth. They should focus on a targeted approach: verify a sample of suspicious certificates and punish the officials who issued them fraudulently. A blanket re-verification might just clog the system further.
K
Kavya N
This is a classic case of one government undoing another's legacy. While I agree fake certificates must be weeded out, I hope this doesn't become a witch-hunt against genuine backward class communities. The article mentions 35 Muslim castes were struck from the OBC list - that seems politically motivated too. Let's ensure backward classes of all communities get their rightful benefits without discrimination.

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