Odisha to begin OBC census in April, aims to complete it by July

In a letter to all district collectors and municipal commissioners, OSCBC member VV Yadav emphasised that they should personally ensure the timelines for the census are met

Published on: Mar 2, 2023, 10:17:24 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes (OSCBC) has asked all district collectors and municipal commissioners to begin conducting a caste census in the state by April so that it concludes by July, well ahead of next year’s assembly and general elections.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. (PTI File Photo)

The survey, aimed to find out social and educational conditions of people belonging to backward classes including their occupation and other parameters, was supposed to begin in May 2021. However, it got delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey is likely to exclude those OBC persons whose socio-economic standards have gone up over the years.

In a letter to all district collectors and municipal commissioners, OSCBC member VV Yadav emphasised that they should personally ensure the timelines for the census are met.

“The district survey management plan...should be prepared and sent to the commission by the end of March,” Yadav said.

Also Read:OBC appointments in jobs above 27% rate during 2014-21, govt shares data

The Odisha government had in August 2021 announced 27% reservation for OBCs in urban bodies as well as panchayati raj institutions. But no such reservation was done in last year’s panchayat and civic polls after the Orissa high court quashed the state government’s notification saying it was not possible in the absence of any quantitative data on OBCs as clarified by the Supreme Court. But the ruling Biju Janata Dal allocated 40% of the party’s tickets to OBCs in the panchayat polls.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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