BHUBANESWAR: A WAR of words has ensued between BJD and BJP here after the Centre announced in Lok Sabha on Tuesday that caste-wise data on population, other than scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, would not be included in the upcoming national census.
The State government had informed the Parliament in March that it would not be releasing caste-based census data collected in 2011. Odisha was one of the three states which had requested the Centre to collect details of the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) to achieve inclusive growth.
While the BJP targeted the Odisha government for doing caste-based politics, the BJD responded by stating that the party had supported the Odisha State Backward Class (Amendment) Bill, 2020 passed in the Assembly on February 18, 2020 and has now gone back on the issue. The passing of the Bill enabled the Odisha State Backward Class Commission to conduct a survey for identifying socially and economically backward classes on the basis of socio-educational status.
Describing the request of the State government to the Centre as unnecessary, State BJP general secretary Prithiviraj Harichandan said that instead steps should be taken for the all-round development of the other backward classes (OBCs) in the State.
“I don’t think a separate survey of SEBCs will expedite their development,” he added.
However, BJD spokesperson Ipsita Sahu said all political parties including the BJP had supported the State government’s move in the Assembly.
The BJP had also supported a resolution moved by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in this regard, she said and added that Harichandan’s statement has exposed the BJP as an anti-backward class party.
The State government had written to the Centre last year requesting enumeration of SEBCs and OBCs along with the general census in 2021.
The State government had said that the census of these communities could be done either by inserting suitable columns in the Census format or by prescribing a separate format for a simultaneous enumeration of the SEBCs and OBCs.
The State government had maintained that no formal census including caste details of the population has been undertaken since 1931.
It had argued that data regarding the SEBC and OBC population would help in taking up focussed planning for these communities.