SC & ST certificates issued in schools, legal awareness camp held

KalimNews, Jaldhaka, 26 October 2013: To facilitate the students belonging to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe category government and its allied department has started a special programme to issue SC and ST certificate at their respective schools. 

And the first programme of its kind was organised in the district of Darjeeling in Kalimpong Sub division. 

This programme was organised by the SDO office Kalimpong in the Gorubathan Block. 

At Jaldhaka Higher Secondary School of the block under Kalimpong Sub division this camp was organised by the help of the BDO Gorubathan and OBC & SC & ST department, necessary forms and documents of the students of Jaldhaka HS, Rongo HS and Gairibas HS Schools were received and processed for issuing SC & ST certificates. 

Barden Lepcha and Pritam Limbu Deputy Magistrates of Kalimpong supported by Subrato Mohanto BDO Gorubathan and assisted by Sanjeev Toto Inspector of Backward classes and officials and assistants of Office of the SDO Kalimpong and BDO Gorubathan and Panchayat department verified the documents and issued certificates. 

Altogether 126 applications were received and processed for issuing the certificate after proper verification. 

Due to rush of the students 30 certificates could be made ready in a joint effort of 14 assistants and 3 officials. Applications of the rest students were processed after proper verification will be issued to the students in their respective schools. 

This is a special drive of the government and it is started for the first time in the hills. These students donot have to pursue to the department and office for the certificates, said Barden Lepcha DM. 

As government has been facilitating SC, ST, OBC students, such certificate is very much necessary for receiving these benefits provided by the government. But the students of the hills cannot afford to go to the BDO offices situated at a far distance and they donot know the process of filling up the forms and submitting proper documents as such we are at their door for the required service, said Lepcha.

This time we  received applications from the students whose near relatives already possess such certificates who are called second generation applicants.

Further camps will be held in due course of time for the issue of the certificates to the students of the first generation as they donot have any relative who possess such certificates and also to the students of OBC category.

On the same day a legal awareness camp was also organised by the Sub Divisional Taluk Legal Services Committee in the school. The programme was addressed by the Chairman, Sub-Divisional Legal Services Committee, Kalimpong, Sessions Judge and others including the advocates of Kalimpong Bar Association. 

They spoke on the legal awareness on the Rights of the citizen and aims & objectives of the Legal Services Authorities Act and Scheme of NALSA. The Ld. Speakers interacted with the participant students. 

 A Legal Aid Clinic was also constituted.