Meghalaya: Tribe certificate mandatory in KHADC areas for issuance of SC/ST certificate

This move aims to streamline the verification process and ensure the authenticity of community identities within the KHADC region.

In a significant policy modification, the Meghalaya government has announced that people residing in areas under the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) must obtain a tribe certificate from the council to be registered and to be issued a Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Castes (SC) certificate.

This move aims to streamline the verification process and ensure the authenticity of community identities within the KHADC region.

Speaking to the media, Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh said, “Apart from what was listed in the guidelines for receipt and disposal of application, we have included one more clause. According to the clause, one of the items to be furnished would include a tribe certificate from a competent authority for areas under KHADC which shall be mandatory.”

“This was not included all along in spite of the tribe certificate being a valid legal document issued by KHADC. So for anybody to register themselves or claim or seek to be registered and to be issued with an ST certificate they should possess a tribe certificate issued by the KHADC as a pre-condition,” added Minister Lyngdoh.

Lyngdoh stated that despite the tribe certificate being a valid legal document issued by the KHADC, this clause had not been included before.

COMMENTS