The Odisha government on Wednesday constituted a commission to study the numerical strength, political representation and extent of political backwardness among the socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs) in local self-government institutions.

The commission will be headed by retired Odisha High Court judge Justice Pramath Patnaik, according to a notification issued by the ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department.

Retired IAS officer Bijay Kumar Prusty will serve as a member of the commission and Sujata Mishra, Special Secretary in the department, will be the member-secretary of the panel, the notification stated.

The decision assumes significance as both panchayat and urban local body polls are scheduled to be held next year.

“Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has decided to conduct a study on the population of SEBCs in various local self-government institutions, both rural and urban, in the State, including panchayats and urban local bodies, their political representation, and the extent of their political backwardness in these institutions,” read a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

The commission will study the proportion of SEBCs in various local self-government institutions in both rural and urban areas of the State in relation to the total population of the respective areas. It will also examine their political representation in local self-government institutions and the nature and implications of their political backwardness in comparison with their population, the CMO stated.

‘Ensure adequate representation’

The exercise will facilitate appropriate measures to ensure adequate representation of people belonging to SEBCs in local self-government institutions in the State and safeguard their rights, the statement added.

Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party government had provided for 11.25% reservation for students belonging to this category in professional higher educational institutions, including engineering and medical institutions.

The Bharatiya Janata Party government had earlier decided to make a provision for 11.25% reservation for students belonging to this category in professional higher educational institutions, including engineering and medical institutions.

The Naveen Patnaik-led former Biju Janata Dal government had constituted the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes for surveying the social and educational conditions of the people belonging to the backward classes. The commission had then put the State’s OBC population at 1.95 crore.