Bhubaneswar: Hailing it as a “landmark decision”, BJP’s OBC Morcha and other social organisations thanked Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for announcing 11.25 per cent reservation for students belonging to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) in higher education.
On the other hand, both opposition BJD and Congress announced the parties will hit the streets, demanding 27 per cent reservation for SEBCs. OBCs are called SEBCs in Odisha. They enjoy 11.25 per cent reservation in jobs but did not have similar reservation in higher education till now.
While the BJD has announced it will stage an agitation May 21 demanding 27 per cent reservation for SEBC students, the Congress said its activists would gherao the CM’s residence May 22 and 23.
A statement issued by the CMO claimed that hundreds of members of BJP’s OBC Morcha and caste-based organisations from different districts of the state met Majhi at the State Guest House and expressed their gratitude and appreciation for reserving 11.25 per cent of the seats for SEBC students in the education sector.
The state cabinet May 14 decided to introduce 11.25 per cent quota for SEBC students in higher education. Majhi called it a “landmark” decision as his government was the first to introduce quota for SEBC students in education.
Senior BJD MLA and former minister Arun Kumar Sahoo, on the other hand, dubbed the reservation for SEBC students as “fraud and deception” and rejected the BJP’s claim of it being a “historic decision.”
The BJD demanded 27 per cent reservation for SEBC students across all educational institutions and has declared its intent to launch an agitation in support of this demand.
Sahoo, also the BJD’s OBC cell convenor, told reporters, “Isn’t it deceitful to claim such a move as historic when the reservation is only for vacant seats and not implemented in mainstream, professional or vocational education?”
“A massive peaceful demonstration will be held by the BJD near Governor House Square May 21, and a memorandum addressing this demand will be submitted to the governor,” Sahoo said.
Earlier, OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das had announced that Congress workers will gherao the CM’s residence May 22 and 23 demanding 27 per cent reservation for SEBCs in Odisha.
