BJD reiterates demand for caste-based census in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Thursday reiterated its demand for a caste-based census in the state for all-round development of 54 per cent backward class people of Odisha.

Accusing the state BJP of having an anti-OBC mentality, BJD Rajya Sabha members Sasmit Patra and Subhashish Khuntia during a media conference here, said it has neglected the interests of those who comprise more than half of the population of the state. “There is no reservation for students belonging to the other backward classes (OBC) communities in medical, engineering and other educational institutions,” the BJD MPs pointed out adding, in jobs too, the OBCs have 11.25 per cent reservation.

Keeping in view the large-scale disparities, the state BJP government should act immediately to set right the discrimination of such a large section of the state’s population, they said.

“Before the elections, the state BJP was pressurising the previous BJD government on the issue of welfare of the OBCs but after coming to power in the state, it has forgotten the matter altogether,” the MPs alleged.