BHUBANESWAR: Chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) Hansraj Gangaram Ahir on Wednesday held meetings to hear grievances from members of the backward classes in the state.
Ahir also met Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at the Lok Seva Bhavan and held discussions.
On the day, representatives of more than 50 backward class communities met Ahir and submitted memorandum demanding direction to the state government for a fresh census of other backward classes (OBCs) and providing 27 per cent reservation to OBC in both education and employment.
Senior BJD leader and former minister Ranendra Pratap Swain submitted that the OBCs are deprived of 27 per cent quota even though they make up more than 50 per cent of the total population of the state. In the absence of quantifiable data, the OBCs are unable to fight their cases in legal forums, he said.
Senior Congress leader Suresh Kumar Routray made a strong plea for inclusion of Khandayats in the OBC list, saying the primary avocations of the community are agriculture and allied activities.
“Khandayats are a prominent Kshatriya and peasant militia caste in Odisha, historically known as a martial group and their name is derived from the Sanskrit words “khanda” (sword) and “ayat” (control), meaning “master of the sword”. They were warriors and mostly serving rulers of princely states before and during the British Raj. They are now recognised as socially and economically backward class in the state, but do not figure in the central list for backward classes,” he added.
Supporting Routray, general secretary of Nikhila Odisha Khandayat Kshyatri Paika Mahasangha Ashok Baral while a few of the Khandayat community has been included in the OBC list of the state, a majority is still demanding their inclusion on the basis of their socio, economic and educational backwardness.
Ahir heard grievances of different OBC communities and assured that he would look into their complaints. He said it is for the state government to recommend to the national commission for inclusion of communities in backward class list.
The commission also took a review of representation of OBCs in the public sector undertakings of the state and the central governments.