Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, December 31, 2024, Kolkata : Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has signaled her intent to explore alternative methods for resolving the ongoing crisis faced by OBC certificate holders in West Bengal. Speaking at an administrative meeting in Sandeshkhali, Basirhat, on Monday, she acknowledged the difficulties faced by the state’s OBC community following a controversial High Court verdict that annulled all OBC certificates issued since 2010. This ruling has left around five lakh OBC certificate holders in legal limbo, with pending appointments and delays in obtaining OBC-related benefits.
Mamata Banerjee expressed her commitment to finding a solution and noted that the state government has been actively challenging the Calcutta High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court. However, due to repeated postponements of the case in the apex court, several recruitment processes for OBC candidates have been stalled, causing significant hardship.
The Chief Minister pointed out the difficulties faced by OBC students and job applicants, many of whom have been unable to obtain OBC non-criminal certificates. “OBC children are facing a bit of a problem because a case has been filed in the court and it is now stuck in the Supreme Court. We have given about seven or eight lawyers, and we are trying to find out if any method can be found because many recruitments are stuck. Almost lakhs of recruitments are stuck for these OBCs,” she said.
Amid these challenges, Banerjee hinted at the possibility of seeking alternative avenues, following suggestions made by former IPS officer and MLA Humayun Kabir. Kabir has proposed that the state government could use Section 11 of the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993, which allows for a revision of the OBC list based on a new survey. He also cited the Calcutta High Court’s judgment, which stated that the government could issue a new notification, conduct a fresh survey, and prepare an updated list in accordance with specific rules, provided the Backward Classes Commission agrees to the proposal.
The suggestion has garnered attention as a potential path forward, especially as the Supreme Court case continues to be delayed. Notably, renowned lawyer Kapil Sibal was appointed by the state government to represent it in the OBC case, but hearings have been repeatedly postponed due to the precedence of other cases, such as the RG Kar case.
As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen whether Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will endorse this alternative approach to address the mounting issues faced by OBC certificate holders in West Bengal.