PONDA: Madu Naik, the President of the Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh in Goa, highlighted the pressing need to address the pending demands of the OBC (Other Backward Classes) community in the State. He submitted a memorandum outlining these demands to the Chief Minister, as well as to the Social Welfare and various other departments.
These memorandums, endorsed by the presidents of all 19 communities falling under the OBC category, convey the prevalent sense of injustice felt among the OBCs due to the delay in addressing their concerns.
Naik emphasised the importance of conducting an OBC census in Goa, similar to the initiative undertaken by the Bihar government. He pointed out that Bihar increased its reservation percentage to approximately 60% after conducting a population census, suggesting that the OBC population in Goa could also be significant, potentially exceeding 50%. He advocated for the utilisation of this data to adjust reservation percentages accordingly and to facilitate targeted developmental schemes.
Drawing comparisons with other States like Bihar and Tamil Nadu, where reservation percentages are higher, Naik advocated for the establishment of an OBC Welfare Ministry within the Council of Ministers and the allocation of a separate budget for OBC development in the Goa Legislative Assembly.
Furthermore, Naik called for 27 % reservation of seats for OBCs in the upcoming 2027 Goa Assembly Election, aiming to secure representation for OBCs in the legislative body. He urged the government to allocate specialty-wise PG medical seats in institutions like GMC and GDC for reserved categories, including OBCs, STs, and SCs, while adhering to roster points.
Naik also highlighted the discontent among OBCs regarding the implementation of PG reservations without clinical seats, prioritising the unreserved category.
