Pradhan reiterates 27% quota for OBCs, SEBCs

BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday once again requested Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to give social justice to a sizeable section of the population by implementing 27 per cent (pc) reservation for other backward classes (OBCs) and socially and economically backward classes (SEBCs) in government jobs and educational institutions.

Writing his third letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the issue, Pradhan said, “At the cost of repetition, but in the interest of people of Odisha, I would like to reiterate my arguments for the necessity of affirmative action in favour of the State’s OBC and SEBC population.”

He said OBCs and SEBCs constitute a considerable portion of the total population in Odisha who have been historically deprived of opportunities in the field of education and employment thereby scuttling the socio-economic development of these disadvantaged communities.

In view of the 27 pc reservations for backward classes enacted by the Centre, significant reservations over and above this percentage have been enacted in states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka, he informed.

“The indecision and delay displayed by the State government in taking affirmative action for OBCs and SEBCs is a glaring disservice to the spirit of balancing scales of socio-economic development in the State,” said the Minister.

Thanking the Chief Minister for setting up a commission for backward classes, Pradhan said the implementation of quota for OBC is getting delayed due to non-submission of report by the OBC Commission.

“However, I remain hopeful, as I have been for the past many months, that you will eventually accord long-overdue priority to needs of Odisha’s large disadvantaged OBC and SEBC population and positively enact affirmative action for their rightful representation in the field of education and public employment,” Pradhan said.