Maharashtra: Caste validation panel likely to get full-time heads soon

Mumbai: The district level caste validation committees across Maharashtra are likely to get full-time heads within a month's period. The appointments of such heads would offer ease to applicants, whose cases and hearings over caste validation are pending for long time.

Caste validation committees comprises officials from revenue and social welfare departments and have been in focus for long as appointment of heads have been pending.

"The proposal for appointment of heads on 30 such committees across the state will be discussed with general administration department. I am hopeful of getting the required approval within a month's period so that we can make the appointments. To finalise the names of the officials for heading such committees, the confidential reports of qualified officers are being collected and scrutinised and will finalise the names before the meeting," Manu Kumar Srivastava, principal secretary of revenue department told PTI. There are some 60,000 cases of caste validation are pending across the state whereas only 13 committees are actually functioning.

Out of it, only 10 committees have full time chairman while three chairmans have given additional charge of the remaining three committees. It ultimately affects the efficiency of the human resources, said a senior officer on the condition of anonymity. There are total 36 districts in the state and there
will be 36 committees for caste validation. Out of it, 30 officials from revenue department will be appointed as head of the committees while remaining six posts will be filled by state social justice department, Srivastava said.