Bhubaneswar: Acting on the decision taken at the State Cabinet meeting, the Odisha government on Wednesday sent a proposal to the Centre with a request to conduct a community-wise census of SEBC and OBC along with the General Census in 2021.
In a letter to the Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy said that the State Cabinet at a meeting on January 11 had resolved to request the Centre to conduct socio-economic caste enumeration along with General Census either by inserting suitable columns in the Census format or by prescribing a separate format for a simultaneous enumeration of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) castes to identify their socio-economic and education status.
Stating that no formal census including the caste details of the population has been carried out since 1931, Tripathy said it is now felt that due to non-availability of reliable and authentic data about the exact number of SEBC and OBC castes, it has become an impediment in taking up focused planning for the welfare of these communities.
“As the Odisha government has an abiding commitment for inclusive growth, it is imperative that its proposal is considered,” he pointed out.
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