The Scheduled Castes department of the Pradesh Congress Committee on Saturday urged Governor Dr SC Jamir to direct the State Government to make provision of 40 per cent reservation in educational institutions for SC and ST students in accordance with their share in the State population.
The memorandum submitted to Jamir in this regard argued that Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe students deserve the proposed reservation as per the University Grants Commission guidelines. The existing educational reservation now stands at 20 per cent, which includes eight per cent for ST ad 12 per cent for SC students.
Besides, it also demanded that a Special Court be established in the State for trial of atrocity cases. “The State is yet to have special courts for trial of atrocity cases though funds have been sanctioned since long,” the memorandum informed. It also demanded that the ORV Act be amended soon to provide reservations to the SC and ST category candidates in the contractual appointments.
Alleging that SC people are being exploited by well-to-do people and the State Government is not utilising funds of SC Component Plan for development of SC villages, the memorandum demanded for establishment of a State commission for SC to look into these issues.
The memo also sought Jamir’s intervention in the chit fund scam where many SC and ST depositors have been duped under the influence of BJD leaders. It wanted that Chief Minister be brought under CBI investigation as many of his party leaders have been arrested and his personal assistant Saroj Sahu has been interrogated.