Bhubaneswar: Pandemonium continued to prevail in the State Legislative Assembly today as Opposition BJD and Congress created ruckus in the House raising proper reservation for SC, ST and OBC students in Medical Education and demanding conduct of a Caste Census in the State.
As soon as the House assembled at 10.30 AM, BJD and Congress Members trooped into the Well, raising slogans demanding a Caste Census and reservation of students in Medical and Technical Education.
Amid the din, Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati and BJD Member Adhiraj Panigrahi along with some other legislators tried to climb the podium where the Speaker sits, demanding a ruling from the chair. However, they were stopped by the security personnel.
And Speaker Surama Padhy adjourned the House till 11.30 AM. As the situation remained the same, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings multiple times. She also convened an All Party meeting, but no conclusion was drawn.
Later, the House was adjourned till 4 PM. However, the businesses were conducted smoothly in the afternoon session.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leader Rama Chandra Kadam said the counseling for admission into Medical Education will start from August 29. So, the Congress has been demanding proper reservation for SC, ST and OBC/SEBC students in Medical Education, he said.
Shri Kadam said SC, ST, and OBC/SEBC communities constitute 94 percent of Odisha’s total population. However, in the upcoming MBBS/BDS admission process, many of these communities will be denied their constitutional rights every year.
“I have written to the Chief Minister in this matter. The CM, who belongs to these communities, does not speak on this,” he said.
Shri Kadam pointed out that SC and ST students lose approximately 255 seats in the MBBS/BDS admission process each year, while OBC students lose around 400 medical seats.
“The BJP is making the slogan of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas. But, in reality, they are not taking us (ST people) and our children along with them. Our children are deprived off getting Medical Education as the government did not give them proper reservation,” the CLP Leader said.
The Government is in no mood to listen to the plea of the SC, ST and OBC people. That’s why the Congress has been fighting for the rights of these students, he added.
Similarly, senior BJD leader and former Minister Pratap Kesari Deb said the both the BJD and Congress members are demanding reservation as per population in the medical and other educations. But, neither the Speaker nor the BJP Government want a discussion on this matter, he alleged.
Though the Chief Minister belongs to the tribal community, he is also not taking any action on providing their rights to the tribal students, the BJD leader said.
However, BJP MLA Saroj Kumar Padhi blamed the BJD government for not taking any step for the SC, ST and OBC people in the past 24 years. The BJP government will take all necessary steps for the protection of the rights of the SC, ST and other backward communities, Shri Padhi said.