The Kandhamal District Pano Samaj Kalyan Committee organised a rally and a protest meeting here on Wednesday demanding exclusion of some castes from the SC list and establishment of a medical college in the district.
Committee president Ana Nayak, general secretary Khirod Sahani, former ML Nakul Naik, Netra Manseth and many other leaders participated in the rally. They demand that AMCS Tikabali forest programmes be resumed sto that SC people can enjoy forests products. They demanded that castes like Keuta, Dewar, Dhoba and Kumbhar be excluded from the SC in the municipality and NAC area be recorded in favour of SC persons under the Sarba Kshyama Yojana.
Arguing that the number of SC people is equal to the number of ST population in Kandhmal district, the committee also demanded that Pana community be brought under the Forest Rights Act. Their other demands include establishment of a school named after BR Ambedkar, reservation of Government posts in Forest and Home department for SC candidates and establishment of a Government medical college at Phulbani.
