BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Wednesday rejected the Opposition’s demand for a resolution in the Assembly to increase the reservation cap beyond 50 per cent.
The Opposition has also been demanding caste census to be carried out in the state and reservation of seats for SCs, STs and OBCs in educational institutions as per their population.
Replying to the discussion on an adjournment motion moved by the Opposition, minister for ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Nityananda Gond stated that the previous BJD government should have taken a decision in this regard as a draft bill was pending in an inter-ministerial committee since 2017.
The department had prepared the draft bill for revising the reservation and submitted it to the Law department on July 13, 2015 for scrutiny. The draft bill had provision for reservation of 22.5 per cent for STs, 16.25 per cent for SCs and 11.25 per cent for OBCs. The state now has 12 per cent and 8 per cent reservation for STs and SCs in medical and engineering colleges.
The Law department had scrutinised the draft bill on June 5, 2017 and the SC, ST, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare department had submitted a bill as per the provisions. But the bill was referred to a inter-ministerial committee by the then government.
“The BJD government did not take any decision on the draft bill for seven years and is now blaming a two-and-half month-old government over the issue,” Gond said.
Participating in the discussion, Congress legislature party (CLP) leader Rama Chandra Kadam criticised the BJP for what he described as a shift in attitude towards these communities after coming to power. He argued that despite the 50 per cent reservation limit imposed by courts, the state government could still push for a constitutional amendment to raise the quota limit, he said.
BJD leader and former minister Arun Kumar Sahoo supported Kadam’s demand for a resolution to exceed the 50 per cent cap if proposed by the government.