Odisha CM Patnaik backs caste-based-census, 'will do whatever is sensible to reduce bias'

As the Centre practically precluded a caste-based census as per its affidavit in the Apex Court, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday asserted that the state will do whatever will be sensible for its people to reduce the discrimination in the state. Patnaik, who is on a visit to the National Capital, while responding to a query on his stand on 'Caste-based Census in Odisha' said, "We will do whatever will be sensible for our people. Our government stands by it and we are fighting for it." The Odisha CM attended a meeting held by Union Minister Amit Shah.

'Formed an OBC commission and collecting database at our own level'

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had said last month, "In our state, 94 per cent of the population are the victim of discrimination. In order to ensure social justice to the people, we have formed an OBC commission. We are collecting a database at our own level to find out their consumption practice, health and education parameters."

"Until the government fails to generate authentic data, the Supreme Court is not going to lift the 50% cap on the reservation," Patnaik had added.

It should be noted that several opposition parties have raised their voice in demand for a caste-based census in their respective states. The Samajwadi Party Supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday came down heavily on the BJP blaming the ruling outfit for not being in favour of giving OBCs their 'rights proportional to their population'.

Opposition censures Centre for not listing OBCs in 2021 census 

Samajwadi Party chief Yadav had said, "By rejecting the long-lasting demand for enumeration of 'OBC' society, the BJP government has proved it does not now want to count the 'Other Backward Classes' because it does not want to give rights to the OBCs in proportion to their population."

Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Yadav had challenged the Centre's affidavit and questioned, "If not allowing the caste-based census was indeed a conscious decision of the BJP, then why did its MLAs in Bihar agree to pass the proposal favouring caste census?"

Centre's affidavit on caste census 

The Centre through the Ministry of Social Justice had on Thursday submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that the census of backward classes is 'administratively difficult' and will suffer both on account of completeness and accuracy. The Centre also said that the exclusion of any caste other than Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe from the purview of the upcoming 2021 Census is a 'conspiracy policy decision' taken by the Central government.

The Centre had filed the affidavit acting on a plea by the Maharashtra government seeking to share census data of the OBCs collected by the Centre in 2011-2013.

(With Inputs from ANI)

Image: PTI/Representative