Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes (OSCBC) will conduct the much-awaited survey to know the social and educational status of people belonging to backward classes May 1. The survey will be conducted from May 1 to May 20 across the state while final list of OBC people likely to come out by June 11.
After getting green signal from the government, the commission chalked out a detail roadmap to conduct the survey in the state. A high-level meeting was held here Monday in the new office building at Toshali Bhawan under the chairmanship of judge Raghunath Biswal
The details will be discussed at next all secretaries meeting scheduled March 3 where the format of the survey form will be finalized. A preparatory meeting will also be held with Collectors on the next day and database of different officials to be engaged for the survey will be prepared by March 15, sources said. As per plan, the survey will be conducted between May a and 20 while a special drive will be conducted for another five days to collect information from left-out OBC people, the source said.
Entire state has been divided into 10 zones, namely—Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Angul, Keonjhar, Balasore, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Bhawanipatna and Jeypore.
Around 20,000 Anganwadi workers will be engaged as enumerators at each revenue village while Anganwadi supervisor or civil supply officials will supervise the survey activities at panchayat or ward level.
Fair price shop (FPS) will be designated as the survey centre where the enumerators will fill up survey forms. Training of the enumerators and supervisors will be done. Month-long awareness activities will be taken up in April, the source said.
The collected forms will be then digitalized and uploaded on the Odisha State Data Center cloud for validation with other available data. After that, the draft list of backward class people will be published, June 1.
The commission will give seven days for raising objections on the list. Citizens can either submit their objection at block/ULB nodal officer or can submit online also. Target has been set to publish the final list, June 11.
Senior OAs officers will be appointed in each district as observers for smooth conduct of the survey. A dedicated website will be created for the citizens to register their information online. The personal information provided online will be first authenticated through the Aadhaar number. The state government has decided to conduct the OBC survey through forming a Commission after the Centre did not agree to conduct socio-economic caste enumeration along with the general census 2021. The state Cabinet had also passed a resolution in this regard.
Through the motive behind such sudden move of government has not been cleared, opposition feels that the BJD may use the huge OBC vote bank during upcoming elections. While urban elections are due, rural polls are to be held next year.