Patnaik against reservation  

Bhubaneswar: At a “pro-reservation” seminar organized by the SC/ST joint action committee here on Jan.23 a stiff warning was issued to Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, not to go ahead with “clandestine” moves to abolish reservation in promotions and introduce economic criteria. Ruling Janata Dal leaders, Srikanta Jena, MP, and Umesh Swain wanted reservations at every stage, giving the assurance that it was the Janata Dal stand which Biju Patnaik could not ignore. The editor of a local daily, Ranjan Patnaik, was against the whole concept of quotas. It was not proper to have two sets of policies, one for those who were already in position by virtue of their caste status and another for those who sought a position.