SEBC Representation / Justice Pramath Patnaik-led Commission starts review of SEBC representation in Odisha's PRIs, ULBs

Bhubaneswar, Nov 13: A Commission headed by retired Justice Pramath Patnaik has commenced the process of assessing the representation of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across Odisha, with district-wise data collection set to form the basis of an evidence-based review, officials said on Friday.

Constituted by the Odisha government in line with Supreme Court directives, the Commission has been entrusted with examining the actual political representation of SEBC communities in local self-governance institutions and evaluating the necessity of proportional reservation to ensure their effective participation in grassroots democracy.

The Commission has begun functioning from the campus of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) at CRP Square in Bhubaneswar. Since its formation, it has held a series of meetings to deliberate on issues relating to SEBC representation and to finalise the methodology for conducting the assessment.

Panel composition

Retired IAS officer Bijay Kumar Prusti has been appointed as a member of the Commission, while Sujata Mishra (OAS-SS), Special Secretary in the ST & SC Development and Backward Classes Welfare Department, is serving as the Member Secretary.

The panel has been tasked with examining the extent of SEBC participation in elected local bodies and determining whether additional measures, including proportional reservation, may be required to ensure equitable representation.

Data-driven exercise

During its deliberations, the Commission underscored the importance of collecting comprehensive district-wise information to ascertain the actual representation of SEBC communities in local self-government institutions. It has therefore decided to gather data on SEBC members elected under the Unreserved (UR) category in both PRIs and ULBs across the State.

Officials said the exercise would enable the Commission to undertake a factual and evidence-based assessment of SEBC political representation while facilitating further examination in accordance with constitutional and legal provisions.
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The ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department has been designated as the nodal department for the exercise. It will coordinate with district collectors to ensure collection and submission of data in the prescribed format.

The department has been directed to submit consolidated district-wise data to the Commission within 45 days to facilitate timely scrutiny and subsequent action. Stakeholders may also communicate with the Commission through its designated email address, sebcCommission@gmail.com.

Senior officials from the Housing and Urban Development Department, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, and the ST & SC Development Department attended the meeting, which marked the formal beginning of the Commission's review process.