Pradhan seeks quota for OBC, SEBC in jobs, education in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday reiterated his request for reservation for OBC in public employment and educational institutions, and for SEBC in educational institutions.

“At the cost of repetition, but in the interest of people of Odisha, I would like to reiterate my arguments for the necessity of affirmative action in favour of state’s OBC and SEBC population,” said Pradhan in a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

He said OBCs and SEBCs constitute a considerable portion of the total population in Odisha who have been historically deprived of opportunities in the field of education and employment thereby scuttling the socio-economic development of these disadvantaged communities.

In view of the 27% reservations for Backward Classes enacted by Government of India, significant reservations over and above this percentage have been enacted in states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka, he informed.

“The indecision and delay displayed by the state government in taking affirmative action for OBCs and SEBCs is a glaring disservice to the spirit of balancing scales of socio-economic development in the state,” said the Minister.

 “However, I remain hopeful, as I have been for the past many months, that you will eventually accord long-overdue priority to needs of Odisha’s large disadvantaged OBC and SEBC population and positively enact affirmative action for their rightful representation in the field of education and public employment,” Pradhan said in the letter.