Calcutta HC scraps all OBC certificate issues in West Bengal after 2010
In another crucial verdict ahead of the last two phases of the Lok Sabha polls, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday cancelled all Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates issued in West Bengal after 2010.
The verdict was given by a division bench comprising of Justice Tapabrata Chakrabirty and Rajasekhar Mantha.
The judgement was delivered on a PIL challenging the process of granting OBC certificates.
The court directed that a fresh list of OBCs be prepared based on the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes Act of 1993 by the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes, reported India Today.
The high court even termed the OBC list prepared after 2010 as 'illegal'.
The West Bengal Backward Classes (Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012 section 2H, 5, 6 and Section 16 and Schedule I and III were struck down by high court as 'unconstitutional', the news channel reported.
"The PIL filed (in 2011) claimed that all OBC certificates given out after 2010 bypassed the 1993 (West Bengal Backward Class Commission) Act. Those actually from backward class were not offered their due certificates. The Division Bench's decision today annulled all OBC certificates given out after 2010. Those with OBC certificate before 2010 will not bear the brunt of the Calcutta HC hearing", Advocate Sudipta Dasgupta told India Today.