Pathankot, September 6
The role of the Pathankot administration has come under the scanner with members of the Dogra community claiming that certificates confirming their identity were not being issued despite the fact that the Punjab government has already issued orders to this effect.

The Punjab government’s Department of Revenue and Rehabilitation (Land Revenue Branch) in an order marked to the Deputy Commissioners of Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, Nawashahar and Rupnagar has asked them to issue relevant certificates to the members of the Dogra community. This document helps in getting employment in defence services as it enables Dogra youth to get relaxation in height and chest measurement.

Pathankot Deputy Commissioner (DC) Siben C said his office was regularly issuing these certificates. He, however, added that some youth who belonged to the said community but were not living in areas specified by the state government were unduly trying to avail the benefits of employment. This is the reason why we issue certificates to people only after verifying their credentials, he said.

The state government has asked the officials concerned to give certificates to members of the Dogra community who reside in North East region of the Rupnagar-Garhshankar-Hoshiarpur-Mukerian-Pathankot-Dhar Kalan belt. An official said this was the area where a majority of people belonging to this community reside in Punjab.

Prof Ravinder Verma, a spokesman of the community, said officials were giving a hard time to the Dogra youth who reside in Dhar Kalan block. In the absence of these certificates, our youth are finding it hard to get jobs in defense forces. The authorities are being selective in issuing certificates. There are numerous job opportunities in the army and air-force but our children can not avail these opportunities because the administration is not helping our cause, he said.

He said they had handed over a memorandum to the DC and added that if corrective measures were not being taken soon, the community would be left with no option except to hold a protest.

The DC, however, said the allegations of the community leaders were baseless and added that the administration was helping them in every possible way. We are having a problem with youth who live outside the area notified by the state government. Otherwise, certificates are being issued to people who are living within the specified areas without any hassles, he claimed.