Orissa to cut OBC quota in govt jobs

New Delhi: While the controversy over the Centre's move for quota in elite educational institutions rages on, Orissa government said on Sunday that it is contemplating to bring a bill in the next session to reduce reservation percentage for OBC candidates in government jobs.

The reservation for the OBC candidates could be reduced to 11 per cent from current 27 per cent. The OBC candidates were getting 27 per cent reservation in jobs since December 1994. Nearly 65 per cent of seats were now kept reserved for different categories of candidates in government jobs.

''This is to contain the total ratio of reservation within 50 per cent in accordance with the Supreme Court interim order and a recent Orissa High Court judgement in this regard,'' Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development, Minorities and Backward Class Welfare Minister C.P Majhi told PTI.

He, however, said that there would be no change in the ratio of reservation for the ST and SC candidates in government jobs. While 22.5 per cent of seats were reserved for ST candidates, 16.25 per cent of seats remained reserved for the SC candidates.

''The ST and SC candidates would enjoy the reservation facilities as earlier,'' he said.

''We have no other option than reducing the reservation ratio for the OBC candidates. We cannot compromise with the interest of ST and SC candidates who are economically backward,'' a senior official was quoted by PTI. The government had also decided to implement reservation in contractual jobs.

The move has irked a number of ruling party MLAs who held a meeting this evening to discuss the course of action if the government tables such a bill.

''We strongly oppose the government's move because reducing the quota for the OBC candidates would have a cascading effect on the society,'' BJD MLA and former minister Ranendra Pratap Swain told PTI.

Sources said the OBC MLAs from different parties have been discussing the issue to chalk out strategies on how to meet the situation if the government tables such a bill in the assembly.

With inputs from PTI