by Cleric Bless Rumao & Father Blany Pinto for BISMumbai

Don Bosco Lonavla social outreach among the 'adivasis' in Lonavla, since June 2020, met with the successful obtaining of 'caste certificates' in 03 villages: Vaksai [46 families], Karunduli [35 families] and Mundhavare [25 families].

The Don Bosco social outreach staff - Ravi Shelke and Sonali Shelke contacted the local MLA Shri Sunil Anna Shelke whose support, cooperation and prompt action ensured that the requisite application forms were made available by 10 July 2020. All the essential documents mandated, were then collected from each family, through the coordinators - Mahesh Pardi, Ashok Jadhav, Shankar Waghmare, Raju Waghmare and Navnath Hilam.

Vaksai and Mundhavare gram panchayats too were of significant help in providing the residential proof through Rupesh Sonawne and Pravin Deshmukh from the MLA office. By 12 July 2020 the required documents were submitted to the Talati office. Often it takes months and even years to obtain the 'caste certificate', but thanks to the diligent follow-up and regular query at the MLA office, with proactive office staff mobilization, the certificates were obtained within 03 months.

The 'caste certificates' were handed over to a few families on 20 October 2020 at Vaksai village, in the presence of the Sarpanch and the Gram Panchayat. The remainder of the certificates were distributed by the Salesians, after which Father Xavier Devadas addressed the families on the benefit of possessing the 'caste certificate'. On the anvil is further info-instruction on accessing various Gram Panchayat schemes. Also planned are Diwali celebrations later in November.