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State's cap on quota opposed

Staff Reporter

Withdraw circular: MLAs

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Supreme Court's stay on implementation of 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) evoked protests from all political parties, a group of 25 legislators from the State on Saturday protested against the Naveen Patnaik Government's decision to cap reservation at 50 per cent.

The MLAs were particularly opposed to a circular issued by the ST and SC Development Department on March 19, which reportedly directed every department to restrict reservations to 50 per cent.

"At present, Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and Social and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) categories are enjoying 23 per cent, 15 per cent and 27 per cent reservation respectively.

Altogether, it comes to 65 per cent," senior Biju Janata Dal leader Ranendra Pratap Swain said.

Mr. Swain said the circular did not specify where and how much percentage of reservation was curtailed to limit it to 50 per cent.

"This will create utter chaos and the entire reservation policy of the government will not only be truncated but also misinterpreted," he said.

The letter submitted to the Chief Minister said soon after the Union Government's decision to reserve 27 per cent for Backward Classes in 1990, the Justice N.K. Das Commission was constituted to identify BCs in Orissa and suggest measures to uplift them. The commission then upheld the Centre's decision.

Subsequently, the State government had taken a cautious approach and offered 12 per cent reservations for OBCs. "In 1994, after analysing ground realities and vast OBC population in the State, the government provided 27 per cent reservation to maintain parity with national provision," Mr. Swain said.

The legislators demanded that the circular be immediately withdrawn.

They wanted the reservation provisions for SC, ST and SEBC clubbed together and the said legislation recommended for inclusion under IX Schedule as was done by Tamil Nadu.

Demo staged

Meanwhile, activists of the city-based Ambedkar-Lohia Vichar Manch staged a demonstration against the stay on implementation of 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in central higher education institutions.

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