After SC panel, Bengal govt set to formulate OBC advisory council

Kolkata: After setting up the first Scheduled Caste Advisory Council in the country, the West Bengal government will now formulate the Other Backward Class (OBC) Advisory Council to look into the development of their social, educational, economical and cultural aspects, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday.

“We will formulate a council for the Other Backward Classes soon,” Ms Banerjee said.

The first meeting of the Scheduled Caste Advisory Council of West Bengal was held here during the day under Ms Banerjee and decided to meet every six months, officials said.

“It was a very fruitful meeting held today. We had a very good discussions at the first meeting,” the chief minister said.

Besides, Ms Banerjee, chief secretary Malay Dey, West Bengal Backward Classes Welfare minister Churamani Mahata were among those present at the meeting.

The state cabinet had decided in October to set up the council to look into the development of people belonging to the scheduled castes in the state.

“The people belonging to SC classes do not know the facilities due to them or ways to avail bank loans. The SC Advisory will look into these problems,” she said.

The council will look into the development of the social, educational, economical and cultural matters of the scheduled castes in the state and function on the lines of the existing tribal advisory council, the officials said.

Out of the total 295 assembly seats in Bengal there are 66 reserved for scheduled caste candidates.