SOP for Kunbi caste certificate verification in Marathwada under Maratha reservation framework

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Divisional commissioner G Sreekanth has issued a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to streamline the processing and verification of Kunbi caste certificate applications from members of the Maratha community who lack documentary proof of agricultural land ownership. The move follows the directives of state govt.Officials said the uniform procedure was expected to ensure consistency in scrutiny and speed up the processing of Kunbi caste certificate applications across Marathwada.The SOP, issued in accordance with govt resolution dated Sept 2, 2025, seeks to address difficulties faced by applicants at tehsil and sub-divisional offices across eight districts of Marathwada. “Under the revised procedure, Maratha applicants who are landless, agricultural labourers, sharecroppers or otherwise unable to prove land ownership can submit an affidavit stating that they or their ancestors resided in the concerned area before Oct 13, 1967 (the notified cutoff date). This affidavit will serve as the basis for further local inquiry and verification,” Sreekanth told TOI.He said if relatives from the same lineage or clan have already been issued Kunbi caste certificates, their affidavits confirming the applicant’s relationship and caste status will also be considered. “Village-level committees and taluka-level genealogy committees will verify these claims before the competent authority takes a final decision,” Sreekanth said.As per the SOP, applications must be submitted online through Aaple Sarkar Seva Kendras along with affidavits, proof of residence linked to the cutoff date, genealogy documents, and other supporting records. The service centre operator must forward the complete physical application to the tehsil office within two days.Applicants and relatives submitting supporting affidavits are required to provide documentary evidence tracing their place of residence from birth to the present. If the applicant or relative was born after the cut-off date, similar evidence regarding their ancestors must be submitted, the SOP stated.It also mandates village-level inquiries to verify residence claims using documents like power bills of owned or rented houses, revenue records, agricultural documents and statements from senior village residents. Inquiry reports must be submitted to the taluka-level genealogy committee within 10 days.According to the officials, a wide range of historical records will be accepted as supporting evidence, including school admission and leaving certificates, birth and death registers, land and tenancy records, sale deeds, mortgage documents, census records, National Register documents, police and prison records, excise department registers, govt service records, military records, wakf office records, and documents maintained by caste certificate scrutiny committees.The SOP requires village-level committees, comprising the village revenue officer, gram panchayat officer and assistant agriculture officer, to conduct local verification. The genealogy committee will supervise the process and assess whether the evidence establishes the applicant’s link to relatives who already hold Kunbi certificates.