AMN /
The Samajwadi Party government of Uttar Pradesh, passed a resolution to transfer 17 sub-castes in Other Backward Castes (OBCs) into Scheduled Castes (SC) category. The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by CM Akhilesh Yadav yesterday.
The political pundits term it as an apparent endeavour of the government to increase the vote bank of Samajwadi Party in the upcoming assembly polls. It was one of the main commitments of the SP government in 2012 when it came to the power.
The government has to move another resolution to send this proposal to the Centre for further consideration as the final power for the category change is vested with the Union Government provided it does not turn out to be unconstitutional and void.
The 17 sub-castes which the government wants to be included in the SC category include Kahar, Kashyap, Kewat, Nishad, Bind, Bhar, Prajapati, Rajbhar, Batham, Gaur, Tura, Majhi, Mallah, Kumhar, Dheemar and Machua.
In 2005, the SP government had amended the UP Public Services Act, 1994, to include as many as 17 castes in the OBCs to the SC category. But since the power to declare any caste as ‘Scheduled’ rests with the Centre, the then UP government’s decision, taken without the consent of the Union government, proved futile. The Allahabad High Court later quashed the decision declaring the move unconstitutional and void.
Meanwhile, reacting sharply over the Akhilesh Yadav government’s assent to include 17 Other Backward Castes in the Scheduled Castes SC list the BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday said the decision is both “unfortunate and condemnable” which aimed at deceiving these communities. She termed it as a mere drama.