NCBC raises questions on Bengal's revised OBC list
New Delhi: The National Commission for Backward Classes (
NCBC
) has raised questions over West Bengal government's new list of
Other Backward Classes
(OBCs) and has sought information within three days on the recommendations and survey conducted to include new communities in the state list.
West Bengal's state OBC list has been in the eye of a political storm since last year with the BJP accusing ruling
Trinamool Congress
of appeasing
Muslim communities
by including them in the state OBC list. The high court had scrapped 113 names from the list of OBCs, retaining 66, last year. This didn't deter Mamata Banerjee-led state government which added 76 castes in the state OBC list taking the total to 140 this month. Of the 113 castes scrapped by high court, 76 have now been added back, while two from the list of 66 retained by high court have been taken out.
NCBC has waded into the controversy now. NCBC chairman Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said the state government had not shared similar information the Commission had sought when it had prepared the earlier list. "We have sought information on three counts from the state within three days," said Ahir. In 2023, West Bengal had recommended inclusion of 87 castes, including 80 of Muslim community, in the Central List of OBCs. This had prompted NCBC to seek information from the state and details on what basis the government had made such a recommendation. NCBC has been red-flagging anomalies in implementation of reservation policy in West Bengal.
After a field visit in February 2023, NCBC had found Rohingyas and Bangladeshi immigrants had got OBC certificates and taken reservation benefits.
The state government has made a survey the basis of inclusion of castes in OBC list. Now, Ahir has raised the objection that if this information was available why was it not supplied to NCBC. Citing the notifications of the state government, Ahir has written, "These notifications provide that these exercises have been carried out on the detailed survey. A copy of the proforma for the survey is attached. The National Commission for Backward Classes desires that the recommendations of the West Bengal State Commission along with the Survey reports specifically the information relating to point No. 13(C), 13(D) & 19(A) of the proforma with all the supporting documents being provided. The above sought information may be furnished within 3 working days."
Points 13 (C) and 13 (D) pertain to the profession of people surveyed and how many are in government service. Point 19 (A) in the proforma asks respondents the level of education. NCBC says it has been seeking information on these counts from the state government and the reservation policy being followed.
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