Provide Reservation For Backward Classes, Dharmendra Urges Naveen

Bhubaneswar: In the context of the Odisha government’s decision on reservation for the government school students in medical and engineering colleges, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik similar facility for the students belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and the Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBCs).

In a letter, Dharmendra said in response to his letters on January 15, 2020, and July 25, 2019, on this matter, the state government had constituted the State Commission for Backward Classes on February 12, 2020. However, neither the Commission has submitted its report nor the reservations for the OBCs is implemented till date.

Reiterating his concern for the OBC and SEBC population, Dharmendra said the two communities, who constitute a considerable portion of the population in Odisha, have been historically deprived of the opportunities in the field of education and employment thereby scuttling their socio-economic development.

Referring to the 27% reservations for backward classes enacted by the Centre, the Union minister said that significant reservations over and above this percentage have been enacted in states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka. The indecision and delay by the Odisha government is a glaring disservice to the spirit of balancing scales of socio-economic development in the state, he added.

He hoped that the state government will eventually accord priority to these disadvantaged communities for their rightful representation in the field of education and public employment.