OBC Survey Begins In Odisha; BJP Dubs It Pre-Poll Drama To Hoodwink People

Bhubaneswar: As the state-wide survey of the other backward classes (OBCs) began in Odisha on Monday, BJP lashed out at the government over the manner in which the exercise is being undertaken and dubbed the drive a drama to hoodwink people.

The survey, being being conducted both online and offline, will continue till May 27, sources said.

In offline mode, heads of the families or any senior person can provide family data at the survey counters set up at Anganwadi centers and schools. Anganwadi workers and teachers have been engaged as enumerators.

People can also register their details at ‘Mo Seva Kendra’ by making the requisite payment.

In online mode, people can visit the website of the OBC Commission www.oscbc.odisha.gov.in, and upload their data. Besides questions pertaining to social and educational aspects, they will be asked to give details of their ration and Aadhaar Cards or Voter Identity Cards of their family members.

It is worth mentioning here that OBC families without ration cards may also submit their details at the survey centers. The survey centers will remain open from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm on all working days.

The social and educational conditions of OBC communities were collected till May 20 to ensure that no one is left out of the survey.

The social and educational conditions of 208 OBC communities enlisted by the state government will be collected during the survey, being conducted by the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes in all 314 blocks and 114 ULBs areas.

However, BJP statre OBC Morcha president Surath Biswal accused the state government of depriving 54 per cent of people in Odisha of their constitutional rights for so many years by not updating the backward class list.

Addressing a press meet in Bhubaneswar, Biswal the state government is enacting a drama in the name of OBC survey to mislead people ahead of elections.

Demanding steps to conduct door-to-door survey instead of doing it at specified centres, he claimed that as many as 15 castes named in central OBC list are yet to be included in state’s SEBC list. The state government recently gave a false information about having included 22 castes in its SEBC list, the BJP leader alleged.

Terming the survey as a gimmick, Biswal claimed that the whole exercise is aimed at diverting the attention of backward classes.