Bhubaneswar, January 16: A delegation of opposition leaders from the BJD, led by former minister Ranendra Pratap Swain, met with Ganesh Singh, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), on Thursday to demand a caste-based census in Odisha.
The delegation presented a memorandum emphasizing the significance of such a census for the welfare of OBC communities in the state which is most populated community in the state.
The BJD leaders urged the committee for a caste-based census and pushed for the inclusion of Odisha’s socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC) in the national OBC list. They said that a caste-based census would provide crucial data on household structures, income, education, and employment, all of which are necessary for crafting effective policies and ensuring fair distribution of resources.
Furthermore, the BJD delegation highlighted the socio-economic challenges faced by the SEBC community in Odisha. They called for these communities to be included in the national OBC list to ensure they receive the support needed to improve their living conditions.
The BJD leaders in the delegation included Ranendra Pratap Swain, Pratap Jena, and several MLAs such as Arun Kumar Sahoo, Dhruva Sahoo, Pradeep Sahoo, Susant Rout, Ananta Narayan Jena, Shouvik Biswal, Prashant Behera, Sarada Prasanna Jena, and Dr. Priyabrata Majhi.
In Odisha, 209 SEBC communities currently benefit only 11.25% reservation in government jobs, although they do not receive any reservation in education.
During the BJD’s tenure in power, the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes made a survey in 2023 to assess the conditions of SEBCs. The findings revealed that SEBCs represent over 39.31% of Odisha’s population. However, despite demands, the state government has not yet published the survey report to the public
