Raipur
The Congress party will protest in all the district headquarters against alleged reduction in OBC reservation in the urban body and panchayat elections to be held in Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh Congress President Deepak Baij said that earlier 25 percent seats in 16 district panchayats and 85 districts in the state were reserved for OBC. But now the reservation of OBC in scheduled areas has almost ended.
According to Baij, the BJP government of the state has conspired to reduce OBC reservation. OBC reservation in district and district panchayats has been abolished.
Despite 50 percent OBC reservation in Chhattisgarh, not a single post of district panchayat president was given to OBC. After urban bodies, reservations have been fixed for three-tier panchayat elections in the state.
The post of Raipur district panchayat president has become unreserved this time. At the same time, reservation for Sarangarh-Bilaigarh District Panchayat President posts in Dhamtari, Mahasamund, Kabirdham, Mungeli has also been made unreserved. Not a single seat of District Panchayat President has been reserved for OBC in the state.
Congress alleged that there are many such Gram Panchayats in the plains. Where more than 90 percent people come from OBC category. Sarpanch post is not reserved. Reservation for Panchs is also very less according to the population. The seats which were earlier reserved for OBC have now become general.
BJP State President Kiran Dev Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao and Minister Tankaram Verma held a press conference and cited the rules regarding reservation.
In Chhattisgarh civic elections, BJP will give chance to OBC candidates on general seats, they said. According to BJP state president, anyone can contest elections from unreserved seats (general), so we will give priority to OBCs on general seats keeping in mind the internal system of our party.
According to Deputy CM, the commission recommended in the report that up to 50% reservation can be given to OBC category. While earlier the limit was only 25%, we have increased the reservation for OBC category. OBC category has got participation as per rules in all other bodies, municipal corporations, municipalities.
Sao said, just a day ago, Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant had said about not giving reservation to OBC category on district panchayat posts that right now there is less uproar and there should be uproar. They want to spoil the atmosphere of the state by giving such statements.
According to Sao, Congress does politics in the concept of confusion, corruption and fear, but we will not let Chhattisgarh become restless. We will not let their conspiracy succeed.
