The Samajwadi Party on Sunday urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take necessary initiative for a caste census in the State. In a letter to the Chief Minister, party State president Rabindra Nath Behera stated that the Odisha Backward Classes Commission had decided to go for counting of OBC population and it was supposed to be conducted during May 1 to June 15 this year, but because of the Covid pandemic the process was postponed for an indefinite period.
He said that due to non-availability of data on the Backward Class population, the students of the community are denied admission into various courses including OJEE and into the UG and PG courses in the State. As the pandemic threat is over, the Government should start counting of Backward Class population, the letter said.
