Bhubaneswar, Oct 9: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Monday demanded a full-fledged caste-based survey in the state so as to know the present socio-economic status of different caste groups.
Speaking to reporters here, OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak said when the Bihar government has completed the caste survey process and Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday last ordered a similar exercise, Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) must not dither to act on the demand.
“We have been demanding a caste-based survey in Odisha since long to get a complete socio-economic picture of our population. However, the Naveen Patnaik government is just dilly-dallying over the issue. If the BJD shows no interest in conducting the caste-based survey, we will do it after coming to power in the state in 2024,” said Pattanayak.
The OPCC chief reiterated his demand for convening a one-day special session of Odisha Legislative Assembly to pass a resolution for conducting the caste-based survey.
“The Naveen Patnaik government must immediately convene a special session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly and pass a unanimous resolution for caste-based survey as it was done in Bihar. The Bihar government published the caste census report on Gandhi Jayanti. The survey will not only consider one’s caste but also one’s economic status. This will help the government make plans and policies for the development of all caste groups,” added Pattanayak.
