Fourteen school students and their parents belonging to Irula community gheraoed the Vellore Taluk office on Thursday demanding community certificates.
The families, residing at Siru Karumbur MGR Nagar in Thutipet panchayat, have been running from pillar to post to get community certificates for their school-going children for the last four years.
“We have been submitting petitions to the district Collector for the last four years seeking community certificates for our children. Officers, including the revenue inspector and village administrative officer, conducted inquiry during last August and said that certificates can be issued for the 14 children,” said a parent of a class VI student.
She added that they were made to run from one office to another for the last six months to get the community certificates. “The tahsildar had assured them that the certificates will be given but there was no proper response later. Our children require these certificates to avail of government welfare schemes and for education purpose,” she said.
She pointed out that earlier 15 children had obtained community certificates. The children and their parents staged a sit-in protest at the office for nearly two hours.
Leading the protest, G. Latha, district president of Anaithu Indiya Vivasaiya Thozhilalar Sangam, said the children will be able to receive scholarships meant for students belonging to ST community only if they possessed the community certificates.
Following the protest, officials promised to expedite the works to issue the community certificates.
