CHANDRAPUR, Jan 24 - NATIONAL OBC Federation have demanded caste-wise census in Maharashtra as it has been initiated in Bihar State. A memorandum of the demand was sent to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde under the lead- ership of Sachin Rajurkar, General Secretary of the fed- eration and advisor Baban Fand, Chandrapur, recently. The memorandum was sub- mitted with Srikant Desh- pande, Additional Collector, by the delegation recently.

    It may be mentioned that caste-wise census has been started in Bihar. The OBC organizations have been demanding caste-wise census in Maharashtra since long. Even as the census comes under central government, the Maharashtra government can conduct it on the basis of the decision taken by Bihar gov- ernment. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Nityanand Roy has denied to hold caste-wise census during the Parli- amentary session.

    It may be mentioned that the then Assembly Chairman Nana Patole had proposed the caste- wise census in the State on January 9, 2020.

   The resolution was passed unanimously by all the parties including BJP, NCP, Shiv Sena and Congress.

   The federation have urged the Shinde-Fadanvis Govern- ment to implement the deci- sion of the assembly and hold caste-wise census in the state.

    It has been 90longyears that the caste-wise census hap- pened in the country.

    After that the Government of India conducts the census for just ST and SC communi- ties while OBC are kept deprived of it. The National Backward Class Commission has recommended the OBC census and has stressed the importance OBC census. More than 100 MPs including Lalu Prasad Yadav, Late Mulayam Singh Yadav, Late Sharad Yadav, Late Gopinath Munde among the prominent had supported the resolution to hold OBCcen- sus. Meanwhile, the Centre conduced social and econom- ic census between 2011 and 2016 but the figures have not been declared. The then union home minister Rajnath Singh had also assured to hold OBC census on August 31, 2018.

   The federation have demanded OBC census along with the regular census that has been taken up in the coun- try. Ramrao Harde, Ravindra Tonge, Prakash Chalurkar, Ganesh Awari, Prashant Pimpalshende, Bhuvan Chine, Atul Mohitkar, Rangrao Pawar, Abhishek Mohurle, Rohil Mohurle, Namita Patil, Sanika Lengure, Anjali Kourase, Prem Walke were prominently pres- ent on the occasion.