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Government accused of neglecting OBCs

BHUBANESWAR: Opposition Congress on Sunday criticised the Naveen Patnaik Government for neglecting the cause of those belonging to the backward classes in the State.

At a press conference here, leaders of the OBC Cell of the party demanded that the State Government should take all possible measures to restore the quota of 27 per cent for the backward classes as was in practice in the State since 1994.

The Government had reduced the quota for OBCs from the existing 27 per cent to 11.25 per cent a few months ago with a view to keep the reservation limit at 50 per cent. The decrease in the reservation for backward classes had affected the interest of thousands of youths belonging to the backward, they observed. President of the Backward Classes Department of Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee Jagannath Rout and senior party leader K.C. Lenka blamed the Government for its announcement of bringing in a new legislation in the State Assembly to increase the reservation for the backward classes.

Stating that the path be chosen by the State Government would involve a lengthy procedure, Mr. Lenka said the Government should move the Supreme Court and file a petition before a full bench of the court seeking directions to have more than 50 per cent jobs reserved for various sections of the society. Mr. Rout and Mr. Lenka said their party would soon launch a State-wide agitation programme to expose the ‘anti-backward class’ approach of the Naveen Patnaik Government.

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