Authentic data will help to remove 50 per cent cap on reservation, says Odisha Minister

The Biju Janata Dal on Tuesday in Bhubaneswar said that unless the government does not generate authentic data on caste, the Supreme Court will not remove the 50 per cent ceiling on the reservation.

The Biju Janata Dal on Tuesday in Bhubaneswar said that unless the government does not generate authentic data on caste census, the Supreme Court will not remove the 50 per cent ceiling on the reservation.

Ranendra Pratap Swain, Minister for Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare, Odisha, said, "It is our vociferous demand to see that there is a caste-based census and we had raised this issue in 2011 when the UPA was in government."

He further said, "Now the government has brought 10 per cent reservation for Economically Weaker Section (EWS). It means that reservation is nearly 50 per cent. The Supreme Court-mandated 50 per cent cap should be removed through legislation and a census parameter should be carried under the Central government. For this, all our MPs have submitted a memorandum to this effect."

Swain said, "Now we are happy that all the political parties have agreed that they support the removal of 50 per cent cap on the reservation. I wish the Central government will bring legislation to do away with 50 per cent reservation and within their parameters, there should be different headcounts for OBCs."

Talking about Odisha's social structure, the Odisha minister, "In our state, 94 per cent of the population are the victim of discrimination. In order to give social justice to these people, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has created an OBC commission. We are collecting a database at our own level to find out their consumption practice, health and education parameters."

He said, "What we are doing by constituting this commission is actually the duty of the Central government. Data is the oil of development. Unless you (the government) do not generate authentic data, the Supreme Court is not going to lift the 50 per cent cap on the reservation. The census which happens in every decade, the government should do that."

( With inputs from ANI )