Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 29 May: The Arunachal ST Bachao Andolan Commitee (ASTBAC) in a startling statement on Thursday urged the state government to cancel the ST certificates of all bona fide ST individuals of the state and issue fresh ST certificates.
Addressing media persons at the press club here, the committee demanded inclusion of a declaration form in the application for fresh ST certificates declaring that the person applying for it would go to any extent, including submitting to DNA test, for obtaining ST certificates.
Those who fail the DNA test should surrender their ST certificates, it said.
ASTBAC chairman Taw Paul also urged the state government to digitize ST certificates to prevent duplication. Paul said also that each individual should obtain one ST certificate from one particular district and not from multiple districts, revealing that “many individuals are availing multiple ST certificates.”
The ASTBAC also appealed for digitization of the inner line permit (ILP) and creation of a separate department for ILP and ST certificates.
The committee further urged the government to “provide a temporary provision for non-APST women married to tribal men. It sought “a better solution from the government in delivering justice to them.”
The committee also demanded prohibition of APST women married to non-APST men from acquiring moveable and immoveable properties.
“The identity of tribal women married to non-APST men should be curtailed, and they should not be allowed to claim properties,” it said.
