Calcutta HC Cancels All OBC Certificates Issued After 2010 In Bengal, CM Mamata Says Won't Accept

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday cancelled all Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates issued after 2010 by the West Bengal government.

The Court has found such reservations under an Act of 2012 to vacancies in services and posts in West Bengal illegal.

However, people who got jobs or are in the process of getting it will not have any impact of this order.

As per the Court’s order, the list of backward classes is to be prepared according to the new Act of 1993. It said the list will be prepared by the West Bengal Backward Classes Commission.

Those who were in the OBC list before 2010 will remain, it stated. However, after 2010, OBC nominations have been cancelled.

After 2010, those who have jobs under the OBC quota or are in the process of getting them cannot be excluded from the quota. There will be no impact on their jobs, the court said.

After the Court’s order nearly 5 lakh OBC certificates in West Bengal are going to be cancelled, while OBC certificates issued between 2011-2014 will be cancelled.

However, the OBC certificates issued before 2010 will remain valid.

The Court has also said the decision won't impact people who have got jobs due to OBC reservation after 2010 or those whose recruitment process is going on.

The Court has directed a new list of OBCs will be prepared according to the West Bengal Backward Classes Commission Act 1993 while the list must be presented to the Assembly for final approval.

Mamata Banerjee Says Won’t Accept Calcutta HC’s order scrapping OBC status:

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee in her reaction on the Court’s order said, “We will not accept Calcutta HC order scrapping OBC status of several classes in Bengal."

Addressing a poll rally at Khardah under the Dumdum Lok Sabha constituency, Banerjee said the OBC reservation will continue in the state, as the Bill concerned was passed within the framework of the Constitution.

“The OBC reservation quota introduced by the West Bengal government will continue. We had drafted the Bill after conducting a house-to-house survey, and it was passed by the cabinet and the assembly,” she said.

“The BJP has conspired to stall it by using central agencies. How can the saffron party show such audacity?” the TMC boss said.