1 2026:CGHC:27501 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR WPC No. 868 of 2023 1 - Smt. Kavita Meshram W/o Late Milind Meshram Aged About 35 Years Caste Mahar, R/o Ward No.4, Indra Nagar- Dongargarh, Tahsil- Dongargarh, District : Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh ... Petitioner(s) versus 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through Its Secretary, Department Of Tribal Welfare, Mahanadi Bhawan, Nawa Raipur Chhattisgarh. 2 - The Sub Divisional Officer (Revenue) Dongargarh, District : Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh 3 - The Nayab Tahsildar (Revenue) Dongargarh, District : Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh ... Respondent(s) (Cause Title downloaded from CIS Periphery) For Petitioner(s) : Mr. Love Kumar Ramteke, Advocate For Respondent(s) : Mr. Soumitra Kesharwani, Panel Lawyer SB: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad Ord er on Board 03/07/2026 1. Instant Writ Petition has been filed against the rejection of application (Annexure P/1) of Permanent Social Status Certificate of the petitioner by the respondent authorities. SHYNA AJAY Digitally signed by SHYNA AJAY Date: 2026.07.07 10:27:41 +0530 2 2. Facts of the case briefly stated are that the petitioner belongs to the Schedule Caste "Mahar" community and the petitioner himself, his children as well as the children of the petitioner's brother want to get the benefit of their caste in the State of Chhattisgarh as provided by the Government. The petitioner preferred online application No. 0704012212020171 & 0704012212020169 before the competent caste certificate issuing authority i.e. S.D.O. (Revenue), Dongargarh on 10/10/2022. The petitioner’s husband and children were born and educated in Tahsil Dongargarh, District Rajanandgaon, Madhya Pradesh (now Dongargarh is under the Geographical boundaries of Chhattisgarh). Along with the application, the petitioner also submitted the family tree prepared by the concerned Patwari as well as Permanent Social Status Certificate dated 5.9.2017 belonging to “Rupali Meshram” (a paternal relative established via the family tree). Subsequently, the , Nayab Tehsildar, Dongargarh issued the Provisional Social Status Certificate dated 30.10.2022 for one of the children of the petitioner namely Pranay Meshram. However, now, the respondent authorities are withholding the issuance of the Permanent Social Status Certificate and demanding unnecessary documents. The petitioner has brought this instant petition against the action of the respondent authorities, specifically the requirement to produce documents before the year 1950 mentioning the caste as a prerequisite for issuing the Permanent Social Status Certificate, as shown in the communication dated 18.10.2022. Hence, this petition. 3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the respondent authorities are not issuing Permanent Social Status Certificate in respect of the petitioner on the ground that he is a resident of another State i.e. Madhya Pradesh, and as such, he has to demonstrate documents pertaining to the State of Madhya Pradhesh. In this regard, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that on 10.06.2025, Government of India, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has issued 3 a circular namely Anusuchit Jatiyo ki suchi ka sanshodhan Prakostha, wherein, it has been directed that if the applicant concerned at the time of State Reorganization, is residing in the successor State (Chhattisgarh) and at present still residing there then the applicant will be eligible for the benefit derived from SC/ST certificate in that State irrespective of the fact that they were resident of Undivided State. Hence, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that respondent authorities may be directed to decide the application for grant of Permanent Social Status Certificate of the petitioner in light of circular dated 10.06.2025. 4. Learned State counsel submits that circular dated 10.06.2025 would not come to the rescue of the petitioner as he has to submit the documents as demanded by the respondent authorities from him. 5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the documents annexed with the petition. 6. From perusal of the record and the circular dated 10.06.2025 issued by the competent authority of the Government of India, it is evident that if the applicant concerned at the time of State Reorganization, is residing in the successor State (Chhattisgarh) and at present still residing there then the applicant will be eligible for the benefit derived from SC/ST certificate in that State irrespective of the fact that they were earlier resident of Undivided State (Madhya Pradesh). 7. Accordingly, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the claim, the writ petition is disposed of with a direction to the competent authority to reconsider the application of the petitioner for issuance of Permanent Social Status Certificate in light of the circular dated 10.06.2025, and to pass a reasoned and speaking order in accordance with law within a period of 60 days from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. Sd/- (Amitendra Kishore Prasad) Judge Shyna Ajay