Meghalaya govt mandates tribe certificate for SC/ST certification in KHADC areas

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya government has announced that a tribe certificate will now be mandatory for the issuance of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) certificates in areas under the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC).

Meghalaya social welfare minister Paul Lyngdoh confirmed the new requirement, stating, “This concerns the applications for issuance of SC/ST certificates in the state of Meghalaya. Apart from what was listed in the guidelines for receipt and disposal of applications, we have included an additional clause. One of the required items now includes a tribe certificate from a competent authority for areas under KHADC.”

Lyngdoh explained that this clause had not been previously included, despite the tribe certificate being a valid legal document issued by the KHADC.

“To register, claim, or seek to be registered and issued an ST certificate, individuals must now possess a tribe certificate issued by the KHADC as a precondition,” he added.

This new requirement is intended to streamline the process and ensure that only eligible individuals receive SC/ST certificates, maintaining the integrity of the certification process within the KHADC regions.