Hyderabad: The National Commission for Backward Classes chairman, Justice V. Eswaraiah on Saturday said there was a need to take up separate census for OBCs nationwide, as state-wise OBC-wise data on populations as well as crucial variables were not available.
This, he said, was the main hurdle in the formulation of policies and programmes for the uplift of OBCs.
Addressing a press conference here, after completing three days public hearings in the city on OBC issues, Justice Eswaraiah said, “After 1931, no OBC census took place in the country. A census is necessary to gather facts about the economic, educational, professional and social status of the OBCs, which cannot be done through a survey.”
“There is a special provision in the budget of both states and the Centre for development of SCs and STs. The OBCs also need a separate budget for their uplift. Unless the exact population of OBCs is known, it will be difficult to devise plans and schemes for them,” he said. Stressing the need for OBC census, he said, “It assumes significance in two ways. While the first one is budgeting and planning, the second is to avoid legal complications in implementing reservations for OBCs. Various courts had rejected quota for OBCs earlier on the ground that their population is not known.”
Referring to public hearings held in the city, he said, “Various BC organisations sought constitutional powers for NCBC similar to SC, ST commissions. They also demanded a separate ministry for OBCs in the Union Cabinet with a dedicated fund.”
Referring to the demand from Muslim organisations over including 14 sub-castes in BC-E category and provide reservations in education and employment, Justice Eswaraiah said, “Earlier governments in AP already tried for 5 per cent and 4 per cent reservations for Muslims. However, petitions were filed in courts challenging this. A case is still pending in the Supreme Court on this. I will not comment on this issue which is sub-judice.”
Justice Eswaraiah also suggested to the TS government to make public the details of household survey conducted by it in August last year, on the social and economic status of BCs in Telangana, while lauding the government for successfully doing the survey on a single day in the entire state.
