Quota for Latin Catholics being sabotaged

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Latin Katholikka Aiykya Vedi has alleged that Public Service Commission in collusion with some government officials was sabotaging  the reservation for Latin Catholics.Vedi president James Fernandez told a news conference here on Saturday that in spite of their  complaints no efforts had been taken to avoid the confusion in the government orders which had been giving ample scope  for the officials to sabotage the reservation benefits of the Latin Catholic community.He alleged that the  reservation for Latin Catholics in appointments were being sabotaged by producing bogus caste certificates and conversion  certificates.  The  government was not taking any action to prevent  Revenue officials from issuing bogus caste certificates, he said.Despite the fact that there was a rule that only those who have been Latin Catholics before 1947 are eligible to be issued the certificate as Latin Catholic,   the 18 village offices  in Neyyatinkara taluk continue to issue bogus caste  certificates, he alleged.The government was also denying the demand for increasing the reservation quota for the community citing that the total reservation quota should not exceed the limit of 50 per cent.  There is currently only 1 percent reservation for Latin Catholics in professional and  post-graduate courses.He urged the government to appoint a commission to  review the reservation system and allot reservation for the community in proportion to its share  in the total population and educational backwardness.He warned of agitation  if  the government did not act on the vedi’s demands.Fr Richard  D’Cruz, Neyyattinkara  Xavier and others attended the news conference.