ST certificates issued to Sirmaur’s Hattees valid, opines Law Dept

The Hattee community living in the Trans-Giri area of Sirmaur district has got some relief as the state’s Law Department has given the opinion that the Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates issued to them from January 1 to 3 are valid.

The High Court of Himachal Pradesh had on January 4 granted stay on the state government’s decision to grant the ST status to the Hattee community residing in the Trans-Giri area of Sirmaur. The Hattees, who had obtained the ST certificates from the revenue authorities, were unable to use them to avail of the benefits of various government schemes, including reservation in jobs.

The Law Department had examined the matter after the Hattees asserted that those who had been issued the ST certificates before the court's stay on the government decision should be permitted to avail of the due benefits. The Law Department noted that since the High Court had not passed any directions for retrospective operation to its directions dated January 4, the stay would be applicable from the date the decision was pronounced, which was January 4. Therefore, the ST certificates issued from January 1 to 3 would remain valid.

Additional Commissioner to Deputy Commissioner, Nahan, Vivek Sharma said that the revenue staff had been directed to treat the ST certificates issued from January 1 to 3 as valid. As per rough estimates, about 60 to 70 ST certificates were issued to the Hattee community members in three days.

Kendriya Hattee Samiti general secretary Kundan Shastri welcomed the fresh order and said that it would provide relief to the youth. They were hopeful of effectively presenting their views before the High Court for the restoration of the ST status.

On September 14, 2022, the Union Cabinet had approved the grant of the ST status to the Hattees. The state's Law Department had raised objections, following which a clarification was sought from the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs regarding the exclusion of the Scheduled Caste (SC) community. The state government had on January 1 issued a notification in this regard after the receipt of the requisite clarification from the Union Government.

The Hattees were demanding the ST status since 1967 when the people of adjoining areas of Jaunsar Bawar, now in Uttarakhand, were given this benefit. About 1.6 lakh Hattees residing in 95 villages of 58 panchayats spread in the four Assembly segments of Shillai, Renukaji, Pachhad and Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district stand to benefit from the ST status.