By Special Correspondent
Bhopal: A report tabled in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly by the Backward Classes Welfare Committee (2024–25) has revealed a stark reality: three major state awards named after eminent OBC icons have remained virtually defunct since 2017.
State Congress spokesperson Abhinav Baroliya launched a sharp attack on the BJP government, stating that the prolonged suspension of the Ramji Mahajan Memorial Award, the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule OBC Service State Award, and the Savitribai Phule State Award exposes the government’s mindset and misplaced priorities. He argued that it is not the absence of deserving individuals but the government’s political indifference that has rendered these honours irrelevant in official policy.
Baroliya said awards meant to inspire society are now “gasping for life” in government files due to administrative apathy. If the government lacks the will to revive them, he added, it should at least make a formal announcement discontinuing them. He questioned the contradiction of invoking the OBC community only during elections while allowing their honours, budgets and schemes to stagnate thereafter.
He emphasised that the OBC community is not merely an electoral constituency but a proud and foundational pillar of Madhya Pradesh. The Congress, he said, will continue to fight for OBC rights, representation and dignity both inside and outside the Assembly.
