Government transfer to maintain Keonjhar zilla parishad seat for normal class raises eyebrows

Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: The State authorities’s transfer to earmark the Keonjhar zilla parishad seat for normal candidates within the remaining reservation listing has baffled all political events. 

As per 2011 census, round 45.5 per cent of the 18.02 lakh inhabitants of the district belong to scheduled tribe (ST) class whereas 11.62 per cent are scheduled caste (SC). The scheduled classes’ inhabitants involves 57.12 per cent within the district.

If 52 per cent of the remaining 42.88 per cent (7.73 lakh) of the inhabitants belong to different backward courses (OBCs), solely 20 per cent of the entire inhabitants of the district are on the whole class. The estimated inhabitants of the district as of now’s round 20.22 lakh. The State authorities’s resolution to maintain the publish of president for normal class for the fourth time is unjustifiable taking the rotation standards into consideration.

In the primary zilla parishad elections held in 1997, the president’s publish was received by a candidate from normal class. The publish was stored reserved for ST (girls) from 2002-2007 adopted by normal in 2007-2012 and normal (girls) throughout 2012-2017. In the 2017 election, the publish was received by an SC lady candidate. 

“I fail to understand the basis on which the Panchayati Raj department decided in favour of general candidate for the post again this time given the size of the ST population in the district,” stated former BJD MLA from Keonjhar Subarna Naik.

He stated, “I had raised objection in writing to the December 24, 2021 notice of the department which has invited objections, if any, to the draft reservation list. The department has not given any suitable reason for keeping the post reserved for general candidate.” 

The BJD chief stated out of 13 blocks of the district, 11 are lined beneath tribal sub-plan (TSP). Of the six Assembly constituencies within the district, three are reserved for ST and one for SC which implies 67 per cent segments are earmarked for ST and SC. Moreover, the lone parliamentary constituency of Keonjhar additionally belongs to ST.

Terming the choice arbitrary, Naik stated it not solely reveals the apathetic perspective of the federal government in direction of the tribals but in addition deprives the vast majority of them folks of their constitutional rights. “I will fight this injustice in a court of law,” he added.

Echoing comparable considerations, Keonjhar MLA and BJP chief whip within the Assembly Mohan Majhi stated this clearly demonstrates the anti-tribal perspective of the BJD authorities. The occasion will take its subsequent plan of action after due consultations, he added.