Amidst the filing of PIL challenging the present OBC reservation in the state, some new data has come to the fore. As per the data published as on March 31, 2015, by Maharashtra's department for statistics and planning, the total average representation of OBCs has gone to the extent of 41% as against the reservation of 32%. When it comes to representation in government jobs in the A and B cadres the proportion of OBCs has increased to 36.5% and 40.20% respectively.
Scholar on reservation issues, Dr Balasaheb Sarate in his PIL filed in the Bombay High Court has highlighted that OBCs have got an excessive representation in the public employment which demands immediate exclusion of the castes and sub-castes whose backwardness has ceased to exist. The Bombay High Court has convened the hearing on Dr Sarate's petition on January 9.
According to the department of statistics and planning's data, even the subcategory of OBCs were excessively represented in all cadres including 22.40% in cadre A, 24.70% in cadre B, 25.70% in cadre C and 23.30% in cadre D. The average of subcategory OBC representation was clocked at 24.70% across cadres. This is in excess of reservation quota of 19%.
The total of OBC category was also excessively represented in all the cadres including 36.50% in cadre A, 40.20% in cadre B, 42.60% in cadre C and 36.80% in cadre D and 41.00% on an average of all the four cadres against the total reservation quota of 32% given to the total OBCs in Maharashtra.
Dr Sarate told DNA,''The Mandal Report had recommended only 27% reservation for OBC and Vimukta Jati & Notified Tribes (VJNT) and not 32%. In the same report, the OBC population was reported at 52% for the entire country and not for any state. In the case of Maharashtra, the OBC population is 33.80%.'' He informed that he had prayed in the petition that the excessive reservation should be reviewed to give the benefits of reservation to the still deprived segments or classes in the OBC category.
However, OBC organisations fear that there could be division between OBCs and other communities in the run up to the ensuing elections.
Shravan Deore, National Convener of the OBC Caste Based Census Council suggested that the Government of India needs to hold census in 2021 on the basis of castes, sub castes, class, religion and origin. This will give more dynamic data to implement reservation on a more equitable basis.