New Delhi: Although the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has been demanding inclusion of OBC data in Census-2021 in several fora, the party is yet to make any formal approach to the Union government to this effect even as the first half of the Parliament’s Budget Session ended Tuesday.
The BJD Parliamentary Party leader in the Lok Sabha, Pinaki Mishra, had urged the Centre to enumerate state’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) population during Census-2021. Similarly, other party MPs had requested the government for the caste-wise census in 2021 in both Houses during their speeches on the motion of thanks to President’s address.
However, the party didn’t take any formal step towards fulfilment of its prime agenda for the Budget Session. According to sources, the Parliamentary Party did not submit any memorandum to the Union Home Minister or Prime Minister on the issue. Moreover, the BJD MPs did not meet the Union Home Minister during the first half of the session to press for their demand to enumerate OBC population in the Census.
Significantly, the state cabinet had earlier adopted a resolution for socio-economic caste enumeration during the Census. The cabinet had passed a resolution to move the Centre for enumeration of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) and OBCs in the Census.
“We need to know the actual caste positions in Odisha which was last conducted in 1931. The caste data will help us channelise our welfare activities in the state. As a result, the people belonging to OBC category will be benefitted a lot,” a BJD MP said.
It is worth mentioning here that during the Budget Session, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, in his reply to an unstarred question in Rajya Sabha, made it clear that the Centre would direct Registrar General of India (RGI) for enumeration of OBCs in the Census.
Rai had said, “The census schedule is designed in consultation with all stakeholders including central ministries. The intent of the Government for conducting 2021 census has been notified in the Gazette of India March 28, 2019. In the census, the castes and tribes which have been specifically notified as scheduled castes/scheduled tribes as per the Presidential order under the Constitution are enumerated.”
Though Odisha Chief Secretary had written to the Cabinet Secretary for enumeration of OBCs and SEBCs along with Census-2021, the party MPs did not pursue the matter strongly with the Union Home Ministry during the first half of the Budget Session and they also did not take up the matter with the Centre in the wake of Union minister Rai’s reply in the House.
Notably, the state government has initiated the process for Census 2021. The state government republished the notification of the RGI to conduct the house listing operations of the census February 5. The house-listing operations for Census 2021, with a list of 31 questions, will start from April 1. The exercise will continue till September 30, read the notification.
Kuldeep Singh, OP