Orissa HC Issues Notice To Centre & State Govt On Non-Inclusion Of Girigiria Community In SC Category

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has issued notices to the Central and Odisha governments on non-inclusion of Girigiria community of the state in Scheduled Caste category of the Constitution.

A division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice RK Pattanaik issued the order on Thursday after hearing the petition filed by president of All Odisha Girigiria/Girigira/Gingiria community Sudhansu Sekhar Behera and three others.

The petitioners stated that while the communities of Dewar, Keuta, Kaibarta and Dhibar, which are counterpart or equal of Girigiria, have been included in the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, their community has be excluded.

They further held that secretary, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development department has repeatedly recommended for inclusion of the Girigiria community in Scheduled Caste category in the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950. But the Director (SCD), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India have rejected the recommendations, they added.

The High court bench directed the two governments to file their reply within 8 weeks and fixed the next date of hearing on August 11.

Advocate Ajay Kumar Nayak argued on behalf of the petitioners.