the goan I network
MAPUSA
A councilor of Mapusa is in a spot of bother after the OBC certificate issued to him has been declared invalid and consequently revoked, paving way for cancellation of his election as the councillor of Mapusa.
The Scrutiny Committee for verification of Caste Certificate has directed the Deputy Collector/SDO Bardez to cancel the caste certificate issued to Swapnil Shirodkar, a councillor from Mapusa.
Shirodkar was elected councillor from Ward 15 of the Mapusa Municipal Council in the civic elections held on October 25, 2015. The ward was reserved as OBC General.
Soon after the civic elections, Mapusa-based RTI activist Jawaharlal Shetye challenged the caste certificate issued to Shirodkar.
The deputy collector had issued a provisional caste certificate to Shirodkar on June 24, 2010 stating that he belonged to the Nabhik community, which is a notified community in the OBC list of Goa.
The RTI activist in his complaint said that Shirodkar had obtained the OBC certificate on the basis of false evidence to contest the civic elections.
In his submission, Shetye said Shirodkar’s father, Vilas Nagesh Mahale, was a native of Karnataka, who migrated to Goa in 1972.
He said it is mandatory for the applicant of the OBC certificate to obtain migration certificate if his parents have migrated to Goa prior to the Presidential Order passed in 1968.
He also said the Nabhik Seva Sangh, Bardez issued the Samaj certificate to Shirodkar without scrutinizing the authenticity of the document.
He further said Shirodkar committed fraud to avail the benefits of OBC status by using surname Mahale and showing Vilas Mahale as his father.
Shirodkar in his defence said the Directorate of Social Welfare and ex-officio joint secretary had informed him that the social status certificate issued by the deputy collector dated June 24, 2010 was duly verified by the scrutiny committee and there were no adverse remarks against him.
He said that samaj organization has certified that he belongs to the Nhavi caste which was considered by the deputy collector.
Relying on the report submitted by the Expert Member, the scrutiny committee said Shirodkar failed to produce a cogent document that the Nhavi community is a notified OBC community in Karnataka.
The committee further said that Shirodkar was not entitled for the OBC certificate in Goa in the light of a circular issued by the Goa government on August 19, 2003.
The circular read: “It has been decided by the government that migrating people cannot derive the benefit for the purpose of reservation from the state of migration, who have migrated from other state to Goa, so as only the local OBC can derive the benefit in the state of Goa.”
The scrutiny committee did not dispute the fact that the caste certificate was verified by the earlier scrutiny committee. But subsequent to the issuance of the certificate, Goa government on the directions of the Supreme Court had prescribed fresh guidelines/procedure for verification of caste certificate.
“By the virtue of the said guidelines, it is mandatory for any applicant in the state of Goa to produce a proof of document to substantiate that he or she or their parents did not migrate to Goa after 1968 which is the cut-off date to be eligible for the entitlement to avail OBC certificate in Goa,” the order said.
The scrutiny committee order was signed by Expert member Jayant Tari, chairman W V R Murthy and member Venancio Furtado.
