The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Monday demanded a full-fledged caste-based survey in the State so as to know the present socioeconomic status of different caste groups.

Speaking to reporters here, OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak said that when the Bihar Government has completed the caste survey process and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday last ordered for a similar exercise, Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) must not dither to act on the demand.

“We have been demanding since long a caste-based survey in Odisha so as to get a complete socioeconomic picture of our population. However, the Naveen Patnaik Government is just dillydallying over the issue. If the BJD shows no interest to conduct a caste-based survey, we will do it after coming to power in the State in 2024,” said Pattanayak.

He reiterated his demand for convening a one-day special session of the State Assembly to pass a resolution for conducting a caste-based survey.

“The Naveen Patnaik Government must immediately convene a special session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly and pass a unanimous resolution for a caste-based survey. The Bihar Government published the caste census report on Gandhi Jayanti. The survey will not only consider one’s caste but also one’s economic status. This will help the government make plans and policies for the development of all caste groups,” said Pattanayak.

In fact, the Bihar Government’s recent caste survey report reveals that Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) constitute more than 63 per cent of the population of Bihar.

“While in Bihar, they have now a clear picture of various caste groups, in Odisha we don’t have any. Only one half-hearted survey was recently conducted by the Odisha OBC Commission and its report says the State has only 43 per cent OBC people. This report is highly erroneous as no door-to-door survey was conducted. The OBC people were asked to visit panchayat offices and submit their caste records. No survey is conducted in such a fashion,” said Pattanayak.

He warned that the Odisha Government can no longer deprive the OBC students from availing their due reservations in government jobs and admission processes in educational institutions.

“In the absence of a caste census, there is no proper estimate for the population of OBCs, various groups within the OBCs and others in Odisha. The Mandal Commission estimated the OBC population in the country at 52 per cent. And in Odisha, the OBC and SEBC population is said to be around 54 per cent,” said Pattanayak.