Yogi government set to include 17 OBC castes in SC list

Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath government will soon play a masterstroke to counter the coming together of OBCs and dalits with the SP-BSP alliance.

The state government is preparing to recommend shifting of 17 OBC castes in the scheduled caste list and the centre, this time, is all set to accept the recommendations by removing the legal irritants.

This is an almost 14- year- old demand by these caste groups that include Kahaar, Kashyap, Kewat, Nishad, Gond, Bhar, Prajapati, Rajbhar, Batham, Bind, Turha, Manjhi, Mallah,  Kumhar, Dheevar Dheemar and Machua.

It must be noted that this is the fourth time that the state government will be making an attempt to include 17 OBC castes into the SC bracket.

The first attempt was made by Mulayam Singh Yadav regime when it brought a resolution in 2004. The then SP government amended the UP Public Services Act, 1994, to include as many as 17 castes of OBCs into the SC category. Since the power to declare any caste as scheduled caste rests with the Centre, the then UP government’s decision taken without the Centre’s consent, proved futile. The Allahabad High Court later quashed the decision declaring the move unconstitutional and void. The second attempt was made in 2012 when Mr Akhilesh Yadav came to power and a high-level committee headed by the then chief secretary Jawed Usmani sought details from the department of social welfare in this regard. The circular from the chief secretary on March 28, 2012, spoke about the government’s priorities, including the inclusion of as many as 17 OBC sub-castes within the SC category.