Include 27% reservation for OBC in State: Samajwadi Party

BHUBANESWAR: Samajwadi Party Odisha State Committee on Monday submitted a memorandum to Governor SC Jamir demanding 27 per cent reservation in all Government and private sector jobs and admissions into all Government sponsored universities and colleges in the State. 

The party in the memorandum requested the Governor to take steps for inclusion of OBC reservation resolution in 9th schedule of the Constitution and to establish a statutory OBC Commission to look into the rights and welfare of the OBCs in the State.

The party also demanded that the State Government for setting up of residential skill development centre in each district headquarters for OBC youths to provide skill training for making them employable in the expanding job market.

Though an Act has been passed with a unanimous resolution in Odisha Legislative Assembly in 2008 for OBC reservation of 27 per cent in employment, the same is now lying with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for its inclusion in Schedule IX of the Constitution to keep reservation beyond 50 per cent. “Neither the State nor its elected MPs are serious to raise the issue in the Centre to implement it in the State,” said party’s State president Rabi Behera.