Bhubaneswar, Dec 22: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has written to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, seeking his personal intervention for the early reconstitution of the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes (OSCBC), which has remained non-functional since January 3, 2024. The Commission has ceased to operate due to the absence of appointed members, raising concerns over statutory representation for backward communities in the state.

In his letter, Pradhan highlighted that Odisha is home to 216 Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) communities, forming a substantial segment of the state’s population. He noted that these communities continue to face hurdles in accessing equitable opportunities in education, employment, and various welfare schemes. The absence of a functioning Commission, he said, has deprived them of a formal platform to raise grievances and seek redressal of their legitimate concerns.

Emphasising the importance of the OSCBC, Pradhan stated that a fully functional Commission is essential to ensure fairness, social justice, and inclusive development. He urged the Chief Minister to take prompt steps to restore the Commission, asserting that its reconstitution would uphold constitutional values and fulfill the aspirations of Odisha’s backward communities.

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