Bhubaneswar: There is lack of political will to implement the 27% reservation for OBCs and 10 % for the economical weaker sections in Odisha, said Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday.
Pradhan’s statement came two days after he shot off a letter to Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, urging him to provide reservation for OBCs and SEBCs in the field of public employment and educational institutions.
Pradhan said that youths coming under OBC category are availing reservations in many States in the field of education and jobs, while the youths of same category in Odisha have been deprived of the benefits for the last 30 years.
Constitution of a Commission by the Odisha government for backward classes is absurd as the list of SEBC is already available in the State, Pradhan said.
He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken a historic decision two years ago over reservation by making provision of 10% quota for economical weaker sections. Many states have implemented it except Odisha, he added.
While stating that Odisha government needs to immediately revisit the reservation policies, Pradhan cited that the State machinery is yet to do the same as it fears that Prime Minister would take the credit. I request the Odisha government to implement these provisions for OBCs and economical weaker sections in the State as soon as possible," Pradhan said.
On the allegations that BJP is trying to play caste politics over the matter, Pradhan outrightly rejected the claim.
"Those who have been ignored for a long time need to get up the ladder in every sector. This is their constitutional right as per the provisions in the Mandal Commission. Giving priority to the weaker sections is not a caste politics", he maintained.
Prior to this, the Union Minister had also attracted the attention of the CM twice on the issue- on January 15, 2020 and second on July 25, 2019. Following his request, the State government had constituted the State Commission for backward classes.