VROs refuse to issue caste certificates to migrants

Musheerabad: Strange is the working style of the village revenue officials (VROs) as they have allegedly been refusing to issue caste certificates to migrants who are staying in Himayatnagar tahsildar’s office limits for 60 years. As a result, future of the migrants’ children in studies has become uncertain, particularly in the case of SCs who require caste certificates. 

There are allegations that VROs during their recent inspection visits to houses refused to issue documents unless bribes are offered. A case in point is Meena of Krishnanagar, a II year Inter student, whose plea for certificate was allegedly turned down by a visiting VRO claiming that she was a migrant. She had stated that her grandfather had come to the area 60 years back and that her uncle Jagannadham had secured the caste certificate from the mandal office.  

This shows how dalits were being deprived of the welfare schemes because of the machinations of VROs and VRs, whose only reply to them is that ‘you are a migrant’ without solving the residents’ problems.  
This is causing severe anxiety to Meena, who questions why the certificate was being denied to her when the AP government issued the certificate to her uncle. Why the Telangana officials are refusing to do the same now. She told The Hans India that when her school TC clearly mentions her caste as SC why the tahsildar office staff were questioning her. ‘I am unable to pursue higher studies because of the officials’, she said in anguish. 

Irregularities in the issue of the caste certificates are being attributed to the long stay of RIs and VROs, who seem to assume that none can question them as they are seniors. They claim that ‘MROs come and go but we stay put here’. It is only because of such attitude that local residents allege that no work gets done without payment of bribes.  Meena’s uncle told THI that after my family came here in 1960. Even before I was born, my grandfather came here. My niece and I have taken caste certificate in 2003 and 2016 respectively. 

Himayatnagar VRO told THI that the issue of corruption by VROs and RI had not come to his notice, while admitting that some of them have been working for long. He said the officials would be transferred after promotion. ‘If their corruption is brought to me, action would be taken after holding an inquiry’. 

BY Bodike Manohar