Pradhan hits out at Odisha govt over reservation

BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday hit out at the BJD government for lacking political will to implement the 27 per cent (pc) reservation for OBCs and 10 pc for economical weaker sections in general category approved by the Centre.After writing three times to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the last one on Thursday, Pradhan said the National Front government led by VP Singh implemented the Mandal Commission report providing 27 pc reservations to socially and educationally backward classes for jobs in Central services and public undertaking in 1990. It has been three decades, the State government is yet to implement the quota system depriving a sizable population belonging to OBCs and SCBCs.

“The government lacks political will to provide reservation to OBCs and SEBCs in government jobs and educational institutions. It is the sheer fear of the government that the Narendra Modi government will take credit for it,” he remarked.Pradhan’s statement came just after Justice Raghunath Biswal took charge as chairman of the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes.

Leader of Opposition Pradipta Naik accused the government of showing least interest in promoting the educational and economic development of SC people.Dubbing the BJD government anti-scheduled caste, Naik said the State Vigilance Monitoring Committee and State Scheduled Caste Welfare Board has not met even once since 2015. 

As per rule, the committee and the board should meet at least twice a year. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik being the chairman of the committee and the board has been showing disregard to the welfare of the scheduled caste people, he added.