Bhubaneswar: After BJD, the Congress today launched a 24-hour dharna before Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s official residence here demanding a five-point charter of demands including 27 per cent reservation for candidates belonging to the Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC) in education and government jobs.
Several Congress party leaders and workers led by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Bhakta Charan Das and AICC in-charge for the state, Ajay Kumar Lallu, sat on a dharna at a tent near the CM’s residence at the Mahatma Gandhi Marg here.
“Our dharna will continue for 24 hours till 10 am on Friday. The Congress leaders and workers will spend the night at the ‘satyagraha’ site here,” Shri Das told reporters here.
“The government must stop offering token gestures as if OBCs are beggars. We demand an immediate implementation of a 27 percent reservation, or the fight will intensify,” the OPCC Chief said.
He said that the Congress’ five-point charter of demands include 27 per cent reservation for SEBC students in government jobs, quota provision for them in technical education including medical and engineering courses, reservation should also be implemented immediately in Panchayati Raj elections and reservation should be implemented in the private sector.
In 2005, the Manmohan Singh government, through the 93rd amendment to the Constitution, made 27 percent reservation for OBCs in education and employment, the Congress leaders said.
As a result, the OBC category got the opportunity to reserve 27 percent of seats in AIIMS, IITs, IIMs and higher education, he said.
It is worth noting that a total of 54 percent of the population belongs to the OBC category. The Mohan Majhi government of Odisha ignored this category and provided 11.25 percent reservation in general education. When 60-90 thousand seats are lying vacant in practical education courses, this announcement is of no value, they said.
“It cannot be applied in the fields of engineering, medical and technical education. So it is a deception for OBC students,” said Shri Das.
While 38.75 percent reservation is provided in higher education for SC and ST students in the state, there is only 20 percent reservation in medical and other technical courses. This is unfortunate, Das further said.
The Congress Satyagraha on the SEBC reservation came a day after the opposition BJD staged a protest rally near Raj Bhavan making a similar demand on Wednesday.
Both the parties demanded that SEBC students must get 27 per cent reservation in education including technical education and jobs.
However, the ruling BJP said that the state government will soon make provision for reservation for SEBC students in medical and engineering courses.
BJP State President Manmohan Samal had earlier said his party introduced the quota for the SEBC students within 11 months of forming the government while the BJD “failed” to do so during its 24 years of rule from 2000 to 2024.