Orissa govt mishandles reservation case in H:Lenka

Bhubaneswar, Apr 27 (UNI) All India Congress Committee (AICC) OBC department chairman K C Lenka today accused Orissa government of mishandling the reservation case in the High Court leading to set aside of 27 per cent reservation of OBC in public services.

Mr Lenka told newsmen here that the state government abdicated its responsibility of protecting, promoting and defending the interest of the backward classes in the state who constituted nearly 52 per cent of the total population.

The former Union Minister said the resolution of the government in granting 27 per cent reservation to the OBC in the public services was in accordance with the letter and spirit of the judgment of the Supreme Court in Indira Sawhney case, in which the constitutional bench upheld the legality of the implementation of the Mandal Commission report.

He said the government while arguing the case in the High Court, did not place intentionally the socio-economic indicators of the backwardness before the court to justify the 27 per cent reservation to OBC's.

As a result the High Court upheld the State Administrative Tribunal's (SAT) order restricting the reservation up to 50 per cent, Mr Lenka said.

MORE UNI