Bhubaneswar, Oct 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a significant development, the Odisha government on Wednesday constituted a commission to study the political representation of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) in local self-government institutions across the state, including panchayats and urban local bodies (ULBs).
According to an official statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the commission has been constituted in accordance with the decision of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to undertake a study of the population of SEBCs in panchayats and urban local bodies, their political representation and the extent of their political backwardness in these institutions.
The ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department issued a notification in this regard on Wednesday.
Retired Orissa High Court judge Justice Pramath Patnaik has been appointed Chairman of the commission.
Retired IAS officer Bijay Kumar Prusty will serve as a member, while Special Secretary of the department Sujata Mishra will function as Member-Secretary.
The commission will study the proportion of SEBCs in local self-government institutions in both rural and urban areas in relation to the total population of the respective areas.
It will also examine their political representation in these institutions and assess the nature and implications of their political backwardness.
The exercise is aimed at helping the state government make appropriate provisions to ensure adequate representation of people belonging to the socially and educationally backward classes in local self-government institutions and safeguard their rights.
The commission's study will cover local self-government institutions across the state and provide inputs for taking appropriate measures regarding the political representation of SEBCs.
"Through this, appropriate provisions can be made regarding the adequate representation and rights of the socially and educationally backward classes of the state in local self-government institutions," the CMO said.
The state government had earlier taken steps to provide 11.25 per cent reservation for students belonging to the SEBC category in professional higher educational institutions, including engineering and medical colleges.
The latest decision to constitute the commission comes as part of the state government's measures concerning the representation and rights of socially and educationally backward classes.
Source: IANS
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