Bhubaneswar, Dec 22: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has written to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, urging the immediate reconstitution of the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes (OSCBC), which has remained non-functional since January, 2024.

In his letter, Pradhan said the tenure of the commission ended on January 3, 2024, and no new chairperson or members have been appointed so far, rendering the statutory body defunct. He said the delay was affecting social justice delivery and the legitimate aspirations of backward-class communities in the state.

Pradhan noted that Odisha is home to nearly 216 Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) communities, which together constitute a significant portion of the state’s population. In the absence of a functional commission, members of these communities are facing difficulties in accessing benefits related to education, employment and welfare schemes, he said.

The Union minister also pointed out that the commission serves as a constitutional forum for grievance redressal, inclusion of new communities in the SEBC list, and policy advice to the government on backward class welfare. Its non-functioning, he said, has deprived affected communities of an institutional mechanism to raise their concerns.

Referring to the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes (Amendment) Act, 2020, Pradhan said the commission is mandated to conduct surveys on the social and educational status of backward classes, a responsibility that cannot be fulfilled without its reconstitution.

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Calling the matter urgent, Pradhan urged the Chief Minister to personally intervene and ensure the early reconstitution of the commission in the interest of social justice and the welfare of backward class communities in the state.