Bhubaneswar: In a major policy announcement days ahead of the BJP-led government’s first anniversary in Odisha, Works, Law, and Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan revealed plans to enhance the reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in medical and technical education. The decision is part of a broader effort to overhaul the state’s reservation framework and deliver on electoral promises.
In an exclusive interview with The Times of India, Harichandan stated that the current SC/ST reservation stands at 38.75%, leaving 11.25% room under the Supreme Court’s 50% cap on reservations. The remaining percentage, he said, will be used to introduce backward class reservation, which had previously been absent in key professional education sectors.
“For the first time, backward class reservation in education has been implemented at 11.25%. The previous government failed to do this in 24 years,” the minister said.
He added that ST and SC students had long been deprived of adequate representation in medical education, despite forming a significant percentage of the population — 12% ST and 8% SC. The restructuring of the reservation system will ensure these communities get fair access, especially in competitive fields like medicine and engineering.
Highlighting the government’s progress since taking office, Harichandan listed several achievements:
18 out of 21 key manifesto promises fulfilled.
40,266 government jobs provided out of 85,000 sanctioned vacancies, moving toward a five-year target of 1.5 lakh jobs.
Successful implementation of the Subhadra Yojana and enhancement of paddy procurement prices.
Construction of 4,600 km of roads with 100% budget utilization and plans for 6,600 km more under the new State Highway Authority.
Establishment of 67 new courts, with aims for one in every block.
The Bhubaneswar City Decongestion Plan is underway and aims for completion by 2027. It includes three ring roads — internal, inner, and outer — and a Central Ring Road in collaboration with the National Highways Authority of India. Traffic-heavy corridors like Jaydev Vihar to Nandankanan will soon be signal-free, and parallel roads are being developed. Similar projects are being planned in Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Bhawanipatna, and Balasore.
A new excise policy is being formulated with an anti-addiction campaign that reaches villages, better enforcement, and a three-year implementation window.
The government is firm against reopening dance bars, calling them contrary to Odisha’s culture. Legal challenges against the closure have been dismissed in the state’s favor.
The state is taking a strong stance on the Jagannath Dham naming row with West Bengal. Legal options are being explored, and the government awaits a formal response from Bengal.
A Law Commission has been appointed to identify and repeal obsolete laws, suggest rule amendments, and modernize administrative operations.
The government is also drafting comprehensive legislation to protect doctors, advocates, and journalists, following rising cases of violence against them. “These professionals face high public exposure and must be protected,” Harichandan emphasized.
On the issue of alleged misuse of emergency and contingency funds by the previous government, Harichandan assured that investigations are on the agenda. He confirmed that the Naba Das murder case is under further investigation by the crime branch, and similar scrutiny will be applied to financial irregularities of the past regime.
