Bhubaneswar, 13 November (H.S.): The Odisha Government has constituted a dedicated Commission under the chairmanship of Justice Pramath Patnaik (Retd.) to examine the representation of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) in local self-government institutions and assess the need for proportionate reservation, in compliance with Supreme Court directions.

Retired IAS officer Bijay Kumar Prusty has been appointed as a member, while Soojata Misra, OAS (SS), Special Secretary in the ST & SC Development, M&BCW Department, will serve as the Member Secretary.

The Commission has started functioning from its office at the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) premises at CRPF Square, Bhubaneswar. It has held several meetings to discuss SEBC representation and finalise the methodology for its assessment.

As part of the exercise, the Commission has decided to collect district-wise data on SEBC candidates elected under the Unreserved (UR) category in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). The exercise aims to establish the actual political representation of SEBCs in local bodies across the State and facilitate an evidence-based assessment of their representation.

The Commission has requested the ST & SC Development, M&BCW Department, the nodal department for the exercise, to coordinate with all District Collectors and ensure timely collection and submission of data in the prescribed formats. The department has been asked to submit the consolidated information preferably within 45 days.

For official communication and submission of relevant information, the Commission can be contacted at sebccommission@gmail.com.

Commissioner-cum-Secretary 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, along with other officials, attended the Commission's meeting.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda