manizem (dbjd) 06 October 2010

Society's letter for address proof

My husband and I have been living in Sagar City CHS in Andheri since February 2008. Recently we required the society's letter for address proof to submit for our application for passport. However, the managing commitee flatly refused saying we were tenants and not owners. They claim tenants cannot be given the letter as per the law. In spite of presenting them with the leave and liscense agreements they refused to budge. Are they correct? Is it a law that the letter cannot be given to tenants?

Please advise.

Thank you

Reply Follow

6 Replies

Mugundhan (Lawyer) 06 October 2010

Your lease agreement with the landlord itself is a proof of address. In addition you can use telephone bills, gas connection book, bank pass book etc. as proof of address. By this time u should have obtained a ration card which is a good proof for address. If u dont have a ration card apply for one immediately. These are better proofs than the certificate which the society issues.

1 Like

manizem (dbjd) 06 October 2010

Thank you very much Mr. Mugundhan. I really appreciate your advise. I think a ration card would be the best.

Hemant Agarwal (ha21@rediffmail.com Mumbai : 9820174108) 06 October 2010

1. CHS is ONLY & ONLY for its regd. members. CHS cannot entertain ANY requests from non-members, even though someone may be a tenant.

2. In Maharashtra, Ration Card, cannot be taken as address proof. Check out the following link :

https://www.lawyersclubindia.com/forum/Re-Ration-card-not-address-proof-Govt-20443.asp

Keep Smiling .... Hemant Agarwal

1 Like

Mugundhan (Lawyer) 07 October 2010

@ Hemant, The Maharashtra Govt. departments may not consider ration card as a residence proof, but the passport office which is a central govt. dept. will definitely accept ration card as address proof. The queryists question was only regarding address proof for passport application. Hence Ration card will serve his purpose.

1 Like

Hemant Agarwal (ha21@rediffmail.com Mumbai : 9820174108) 08 October 2010

Ration Card is a State subject and the State says that Ration Card issued by the State Govt., cannot be used as a address proof, which means that the State Govt., categorily states that Ration Card is a dummy document for the purposes of "Address Proof". Ration Card is the property of the State Govt., and not the property of the Ration Card holder.

Hence Passport authorities "in the State" now cannot accept the state ration card (which is now a dummy document for purpose of address proof) as documentary evidence for the applicants address verification.

Whereas too, the directive dated 5th June, 2010, issued by the Chief Secretary Mr. Dange, also directs the Passport dept., in Maharashtra, to not accept the Ration Card as address proof.

The passport dept., even though it is central govt. dept., is bound by the State Laws on the State issued / owned documents.

CONCLUDE : Maharashtra State issued Ration Card, now cannot be accepted as Address Proof, for any purposes, which includes the Passport office.

Keep Smiling .... Hemant Agarwal

1 Like

Mugundhan (Lawyer) 08 October 2010

A state government cannot issue directions to a central government department or the departments of other states. It can exercise administrative control only over its own departments and officers. These are basics of administrative law. I checked the official website of the passport department which shows that ration card is an address proof. But in addition it says that if only Ration Card is produced as address proof, one more document like certificate from Employer of reputed companies on letter head, water /telephone /electricity bill/statement of running bank account/Income Tax Assessment Order /Election Commission ID card, Gas connection Bill, Spouse’s passport copy has to be produced. So if a ration card is submitted along with anyone of the above documents, it would be accepted as address proof. Anyhow,Thanks to Mr. Hemant Agarwal because I was thinking that ration card alone would be accepted as address proof, but because of his replies, I checked the official website and found that one more proof is necessary.

2 Like