Bhubaneswar: The opposition Congress Monday submitted a notice to the Odisha Assembly Speaker seeking passage of a resolution to enhance the existing reservation quota in jobs and education for various communities in the state.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam said there is an urgent need to remove the 50 per cent cap on reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Other Backward Classes (OBC), referred to as SEBC (Socially and Educationally Backward Classes) in Odisha.
Kadam said by fixing the upper limit of reservation at 50 per cent, many people suffer.
“While the STs and SCs comprise 40 per cent of the state’s population, they get 38.30 per cent quota. The SEBC category gets only 11.25 per cent against their population ratio of over 50 per cent in the state,” he pointed out.
In higher education, Kadam said the ST and SCs get only 20 per cent (12 pc for ST and 8 pc for SC) while there is no such quota for the SEBC.
“What is the basis of keeping 12 per cent reservation for STs in higher education like medical, engineering and other technical courses,” Kadam asked.
The Congress leader demanded that Odisha follow Tamil Nadu’s example by removing the reservation cap, adding that his party has formally issued a notice to the Speaker on the matter.
Kadam also extended his party’s support if the ruling BJP moves a similar resolution. “We want the quota cap to be lifted so that all communities get their rightful and genuine entitlements. We will support such a step if the government takes it,” he said.
Kadam also said the Congress also demands a detailed discussion in the House on the subject for providing rightful reservation to all categories of people.
Orissa POST – Odisha’s No.1 English Daily