BJP demands early caste survey in state

Bhubaneswar: The BJP, state unit, on Thursday asked the BJD government to conduct a survey of backward classes without further delay and threatened state-wide agitation if the same is not done soon.
Addressing a news conference here, BJP OBC Morcha president Surath Biswal said states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra have already had one such caste-based survey but Odisha is delaying it.
“If the government does not t come out with a concrete timeline for completion of the survey, we will agitate. We will serve an ultimatum before intensifying our strike,” he said.
Pointing out the government had announced in 2021 to conduct a caste survey by the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes (OSCBC) in 2021, the same was not being implemented depriving the 54% backward classes of their rightful reservations in government jobs, education and in elections to local bodies.
While BJD was yet to react on the BJP’s statement, a senior government officer said the OSCBC will conduct the survey soon. The OSCBC had decided to conduct the caste survey in May 2021.
However, the same had to be postponed due to the Covid situation. Odisha had to drop OBC quota in rural and urban local body elections last year in the absence of caste data as mandated by the Supreme Court.