OBCs (Other Backward Classes) in Odisha maintained restraint throughout when the State Government willy-nilly kept a distance from the first OBC Commission (1953) and the second commission (1978) and when other States from early seventies extended reservations in employment and in education to OBCs.
Again, OBCs have to bear with the Odisha Government for its failure to save the reservation Act of 2008. They had never in the past aired their discontentment when the State Government did not extend reservation for admission in educational institutions for them.
State OBC Bikash Mancha working president D Mania informed that he has kept his hope alive while appealing to the Chief Minister to go the Tamil Nadu way to approach the Supreme Court directly and thereby secure inclusion of this State Act under the 9th Schedule of the Constitution.
The Government of India’s Department of Personnel & Training had advised on February 2, 1993 to all concerned to move to the Supreme Court of for an early settlement of matters relating to reservations. Mania has therefore urged the State Government to consider postponing the process of all recruitments till final orders of the apex court in the best interest of the OBCs which constitutes 52 per cent of the State’s population.
Mania said the delay in revival of the Odisha Backward Finance & Development Cooperative Corporation has marred the progress of the target group in many areas. Other issues with OBCs like sub-categorisation of OBCs, enhancement of Annual Budgetary support to students’ scholarship and hostel scholarship, provision for stipend for coaching and training facilities, formation of an OBC Commission, strengthening of the OBC Directorate and many other demands deserve consideration of the State Government.
Mania further demanded that the ASO examination conducted by the OPSC is in the process, the results of which should be kept on hold till finalisaion of the reservation issue which is pending in the High Court. He said most of the OBC candidates would be deprived of their rights unless the Government clearly decides over the issue as the ASO examination has been conducted after 19 years.
“The results of any recruitment examination should be kept in abeyance till the State Government or the High Court decides over the issue,” Mania said at a Press conference here.