Kolkata, West Bengal, May 22 (HBTV): The Calcutta High Court has cancelled all Other Backward Castes (OBC) certificates issued in West Bengal after 2010.               

A division bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakrabirty and Rajasekhar Mantha pronounced the verdict, while delivering a judgment on a Public Interest Litigation challenging the process of granting OBC certificates.

The court directed that a fresh list of OBCs be prepared based on the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes Act of 1993 by the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes. Those who were in the OBC list before 2010 will remain.        

However, OBC nominations after 2010 have been cancelled. The court, however, clarified that the order will not affect the services of citizens of the ejected classes, who are already in service or have been benefitted by reservation or have succeeded in any selection process of the state.       

The court added that there was no interference with regard to the state government's executive orders classifying 66 classes of OBCs before 2010, as the petitions did not challenge them.    

West Bengal chief minister MAmata Banerjee has sharply responded to this development and said she does not accept it. She alleged it to be a conspiracy of the Bharatiya Janata Party.