Headed by retired Justice Pramath Patnaik, the panel has asked district collectors to compile data on SEBC members elected under unreserved seats in rural and urban local bodies
OdishaPlus Bureau
The Odisha government has constituted a dedicated Commission headed by retired Orissa High Court judge Justice Pramath Patnaik to examine the political representation of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) in rural and urban local bodies, in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court.
The Commission has begun functioning from its office on the premises of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) at CRPF Square in Bhubaneswar.
Retired IAS officer Bijay Kumar Prusty has been appointed as a member, while Sujata Misra, Special Secretary to the ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department, has been appointed as Member Secretary.
The Commission has held several meetings since its constitution to discuss issues relating to SEBC representation and finalise the methodology for its assessment.
As part of the exercise, it has decided to collect district-wise data on SEBC members elected under the unreserved (UR) category in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). The information is intended to help establish the actual level of SEBC representation in local self-government institutions across the state.
The Commission believes that comprehensive district-level information will enable an evidence-based assessment of political representation and help determine the need for proportionate reservation in accordance with constitutional and legal provisions.
It has asked the ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department, the nodal department for the exercise, to coordinate with all district collectors and ensure the collection and submission of information in the prescribed formats.
The department has been requested to submit consolidated data to the Commission at the earliest, preferably within 45 days, to facilitate further examination.
The Commission has also provided a dedicated email address, sebccommission@gmail.com, for official communication and the submission of relevant information.
The panel’s exercise assumes significance in view of the Supreme Court’s directions on reservation for backward classes in local body elections. The prescribed framework requires an empirical inquiry into the political backwardness of the community, the determination of reservation based on the findings, and adherence to the overall 50 per cent ceiling on reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary to the Government B. Parameswaran; Director of Municipal Administration Arindam Dakua; Additional Secretary of the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department Surya Narayan Dash; and Director of Panchayati Raj Indramani Nayak attended the meeting along with other officials.