After Nitish-Pawar, BJD raised the demand for caste census, Rajya Sabha MP made this demand from the Center
News
oi mukesh pandey
New Delhi, 27 May.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has called an all-party meeting in Patna on June 1 to discuss the issue of caste census, in which JDU’s ally Bharatiya Janata Party has also given its consent to participate. Here, Biju Janata Dal’s Rajya Sabha MP Amar Patnaik says that his party is in favor of conducting caste census in Odisha. At the same time, he said that BJD will give priority to the fact that the central government should conduct caste census at the national level.
BJD MP Amar Patnaik has said that caste census data is a mandatory condition for ensuring reservation for backward classes as per the Supreme Court’s December 2020 order. In such a situation, the central government will be in a better position to get it done. He further said that reservation is not possible without caste census. The Odisha government had earlier approached the Center for the caste census. We once again reiterate our demand. Nationalist Congress chief Sharad Pawar has demanded a caste-based national census.
State government may conduct caste survey in Odisha
BJD Rajya Sabha MP Amar Patnaik said that the Odisha State Backward Classes Commission (OSCBC) had decided to conduct the caste survey in May last year. However, it had to be postponed due to Kovid. If the Center does not, then the Odisha government will announce new dates for this again. The Supreme Court, in its order of December 2020, had laid down certain conditions for implementing OBC reservation in local body elections. In which emphasis was placed on three tests. In addition, the constitution of the Backward Classes Commission, rigorous empirical inquiry into the nature of backwardness, and the proportion of reservations not exceeding 50%, subject to the overall quota, were among the apex court’s pre-determined conditions.
Triple tests necessary for OBC reservation
If sources are to be believed, the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha is planning to conduct a caste survey in the state. After the Madhya Pradesh government complied with three tests, the Supreme Court had on May 18 approved the implementation of OBC quota in the local body elections to be held in the state. The Odisha government feels that the caste survey of the Backward Classes Commission will ensure the ‘Triple Tests’ status of the state. This will bring a situation of giving reservation to the backward classes in the state local body elections.
