Indus Valley Times

The former Union minister asks why Mandal Commission recommendations have not been implemented in Odisha

By Deepak Mohapatra and Sukanta Kumar Mohanty
Bhubaneswar, May 8: Veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Srikanta Jena on Tuesday shot a letter to Odisha chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik questioning his government’s commitment towards social justice.
Mentioning that people belonging to Other Backward Community (OBC) Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and minorities constituted nearly 95 per cent of the state’s population, Mr Jena alleged that these people remained a neglected lot under the BJD in its 18 years of rule.
“Odisha occupies number one position among the poverty-stricken states in the country. As many as 40 lakh youths are unemployed. According to Raghuram Rajan Committee report, Odisha fares very poor in all parameters of development. Minerals worth Rs 2 lakh crore were looted under your rule. Would you give your clarification on the above subjects?” asked Mr Jena in the letter.
Mr Jena also wanted to know why Mandal Commission (MC) recommendations were not implemented in Odisha. He also questioned why the SC and ST students were not given 38.5 per cent reservation in technical and medical education as recommended Mandal Commission.
“Since the state government did not implement the Mandal Commission recommendations, nearly seven thousand youths belonging to OBC category have been deprived of getting into Odisha Administrative Services (OAS), Odisha Judicial Services (OJS) and Odisha Financial Services (OFS),” the former minister said.
The veteran Congress said dalits, ST and OBC people did not get appropriate promotions in the BJD despite working for the party.
“Social justice has always eluded to the BJD leaders belonging to weaker sections. You sent dalit leader Bishnu Charan Das to Rajya Sabha but asked him to resign just after a few months. Of your nine Rajya Sabha members, none belongs to dalit community. This clearly speaks up your commitment to give social justice to weaker sections of the society,” he observed.
Mr Jena dared the CM to appoint at least three deputy chief ministers representing the OBC, dalit and ST communities.
“If you really believe in social justice, please appoint a lawmaker either from OBC or from SC or ST category as deputy CM,” he said.