BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to implement the 10 per cent quota in government jobs and educational institutions for economically weaker sections in the general category as approved by the Centre.
“I appeal to the Chief Minister to implement the 103rd constitutional amendment Act which provides 10 per cent quota for economically weaker sections without further delay,” Athawale told media persons after a review of the Central Government programmes with officials of the State.
The State Government is yet to take a call on the issue even as several states including Gujarat, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh have already implemented quota provision for backward classes among upper castes.
Currently, the State Government is providing 11.25 per cent (pc) reservation for socially and educational backward classes (SEBC) after the Orissa High Court struck down the Orissa Reservation of Posts and Services (for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes) Act, 2008, providing 27 pc reservation for the group. The Supreme Court, in a 1992 ruling, had set the cap for reservations at 50 per cent.
While reservation is provided to SCs, STs and OBCs at the rate of 15 pc, 7.5 pc and 27 pc respectively at the national level in case of direct recruitment on all-India basis by open competition, the quota provided in the State for STs, SCs and SEBC category is in the order of over 22.5 pc and 16.25 pc and 11.25 pc respectively.
Expressing concern over the increasing atrocities on weaker sections of the societies, mostly Dalits, the Union Minister said initiatives like encouraging inter-caste marriage and higher conviction rate of the offenders will help reduce such cases.
President of the Republic Party of India, Athawale said atrocity against Dalits is not a political but a social problem and stressed on the importance of encouraging inter-caste marriages and stringent action against the offenders to end such incidents.
As long as there is casteism, such attacks and atrocities would continue, no matter which party is in power at the Centre, he said.
“It is not the case that atrocities on the Dalits have increased in the BJP regime. Attacks and violence on Dalits were occurring during the Congress rule,” he said.
Athawale urged the State Government to come up with initiatives like providing a grant of `25 lakh to the district with highest number of inter-caste marriages. He, however, praised Naveen Patnaik for his simplicity and popularity.