New Delhi, Mar 29 (IANS): The Elders in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday demanded to release caste census data to provide Other Backward Classes reservations in the local bodies elections in the country.

Raising the issue, BJP Member Sushil Modi said that most of the states have a list for OBC category. The Supreme Court has asked the states to constitute a commission for OBC to give reservation in the urban local bodies elections.

Modi also said that the Apex Court has allowed the existing OBC list for providing reservations to this category in jobs and admissions. But for the local bodies elections, the states need to constitute a separate commission to make a new list. This is the reason why the elections of local bodies have not been taking place in many states, including Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

DMK Member P. Wilson also raised this issue of OBC reservations in local bodies, indicating that there was a constitutional deadlock on the same.

He requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and break the constitutional deadlock, by either releasing caste census data or by amending Article 243(D)(6) and 243(T)(6) which mandates reservation for OBC in local bodies. Wilson also pointed out that a proposed socio-economic caste census has yet not been carried out.