(1) This Act may be called the Odisha Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes (Regulation of Issuance and Verification of Caste Certificates) Act, 2012.
(2) It shall come into force on such date, as the State Government may, by notification, in the Official Gazette, appoint.
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) "Appellate Authority" means the Authority as mentioned in section 5;
Definitions.
(b) "Backward ClasseS" means any Socially and Educationally Backward Classes as defined in clause(e) of section 2 of the Odisha Reservation of Posts and Services (for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes) Act, 2008 and includes Other Backward Classes declared by Government of India in relation to the State of Odisha ;
(c) "Caste Certificate" means the certificate issued by the Competent Authority to an applicant indicating therein the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or Backward Class, as the case may be, to which such applicant belongs;
(d) "Competent Authority" means an Officer or authority authorised by the Government, by notification, to issue Caste Certificate, for such area or for such purposes as may be specified in the said notification and shall include all the Competent Authorities already designated by the Government before the commencement of this Act, having jurisdiction over the area or place to which the applicant originally belongs, unless specified otherwise;
(e) "Government" means the Government of Odisha ;
(t) "Local Authority" means Grama Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, Zilla Perished- and also includes a Municipality or Municipal Corporation or such other body legally entitled to function as local authority by the Government;
(g) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(h)"public sector undertaking" means a Government Company as defined in section 617 of the L,ompanies Act, 1956 or any Corporation established by or under any Central or State Act;
(0 "reserved category" means category of persons either belonging to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or Backward Class:
(i) "Scheduled Castes" and "Scheduled Tribes" shall have the meanings, respectively, assigned to them in clause (24) and clause (25) of article 366 of the Constitution of India; and 1 of 1956.
Odisha Act 6 of
2009.
3 Application for a Caste Certificate, Appeal.
(k) "Scrutiny Committee" means the Committee or Committees constituted under sub-section (1) of section 6 for verification of the Caste- Certificate and to perform other functions as entrusted to the Scrutiny Committee under this Act.
3. Any person belonging to any of the reserved category, required to produce a Caste Certificate in order to claim the benefit of any reservation provided to such reserved category either in arty public employment or for admission into any educational institution or any other benefit under any special provisions made under clause (4) of article 15 of the Constitution of India or for the purpose of contesting for elective post in any Local Authority or in the Co-operative Societies or for purchase or transfer of land from a tribal land-holder or any other purposes specified by the Government, shall apply in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed, to the Competent Authority for the issue of a Caste Certificate.