Team Herald
PANJIM: Panchayat members who got elected in reserved wards based on samaj certificates issued by Mormugao-based Association of Christian Backward Classes, could face disqualification as the association has been defunct since 2002. Many government servants who also got certificates from this association for jobs under the reserved quota could face an uncertain future.
Documents procured under Right to Information Act from Office of the District Registrar certify that the “society has not renewed its registration certificate till date and therefore it becomes a defunct society under section 3 (B) of the Society Registration (Goa Second Amendment Act, 1998).”
Domnic Pereira from St Cruz has filed a complaint with Crime Branch that has since been transferred to Panjim Police Station against the association and the signatory authority.
“It been days but there has been no response from Panjim Police on the complaint. The issue is very serious as dozens of elected panch members under the reserved category have used the samaj certificate issued by this association,” Pereira said.
Certificates were issued by this association to confirm that a person belongs to the Christian Render, Christian Mahar and Christian Kharvi communities.
Based on the samaj certificate the caste certificate was issued by the Deputy Collector. It is also revealed under RTI that the association is the authorised organisation to issue samaj certificate as per Directorate of Social Welfare. The reply to RTI was given on September 18, 2017, four months after the panchayat elections were held in which certificates from the association were used by candidates to prove their caste and contest in reserved wards.
Pereira on April 2 lodged the complaint with Crime Branch which was transferred to Panjim police station on April 7.
Panjim Police have earlier registered an FIR against Lawrence Marcelino Rodrigues for forging a bona fide certificate and producing it before the Deputy Collector (Tiswadi) to obtain an OBC caste certificate that would facilitate his contesting the panchayat elections in ward number III of St Cruz. The certificate was also issued by the Association of Christian Backward Classes.
