E-Paper
‘State to send draft proposal to central govt for notifying 18 OBCs as scheduled castes’
The proposal will be passed in the Monsoon session of the UP legislative assembly commencing from September 19 and will be approved by the cabinet before being sent to the central government, Nishad said.
Uttar Pradesh fisheries minister and Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (NISHAD) party chief, Sanjay Nishad said that the Uttar Pradesh government will send a draft proposal to the central government for the inclusion of 18 castes under other backward class (OBC) category in the list of scheduled castes.
The proposal will be passed in the Monsoon session of the UP legislative assembly commencing from September 19 and will be approved by the cabinet before being sent to the central government, Nishad said.
A division bench of Allahabad High Court on August 31, quashed the three notifications dated December 21, 2016, December 22, 2016 and June 24, 2019 which notified eighteen castes under other backward class (OBC) category in the list of scheduled castes.
A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the court challenging the notifications on the ground that they were without the authority as provided under Article 341 of the Constitution. Earlier, while hearing the PIL, the court had passed the interim order in favour of petitioner and directed the state government to not issue any caste certificates.
Welcoming the high court order, Nishad said that the court has delivered justice to the 18 castes of which 15 belong to the fishermen community. The political parties, including Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, had cheated the fishermen community with eye on their vote. The community has hope from the double engine BJP government of justice. The 17 castes will be included in the scheduled caste category and get the benefit of the government schemes, he said.
On September 6, Nishad met chief minister Yogi Adityanath to discuss the issue. On the direction of the chief minister, he had a detailed discussion with social welfare minister, Asim Arun over the inclusion of 18 castes under the OBC category in the list of scheduled castes. Arun assured that a draft proposal for inclusion of the 18 castes in the SC category will be sent to the central government within a week, he said.
Nishad said that the social welfare minister was informed that actually there are 17 castes Nishad, Kewat, Mallah, Bind, Kahar, Kashyap, Dhimar, Raikwar, Turaiha, Batham, Bhar, Rajbhar, Dhiwar, Prajapati, Kumahar, Manjhi and Machua that are to be included in the SC category. Due to some clerical mistake and misconceptions, it is being said that 18 OBCs are to be included in the SC category, Nishad said.
The NISHAD party will also raise the demand for the implementation of the recommendation of Social Justice Committee, he said.
Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh government has shot off a letter to the Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner of India seeking guidance over the reservation to the Nishad community under schedule caste category. The Registrar General has given approval over the inclusion of the Nishad community in the scheduled caste category, he said.
