Why Bahujan entrepreneurs kept out of India’s biggest public contracts: Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has raised serious concerns over the inclusion of Dalit, Adivasi, and Other Backward Class (OBC) entrepreneurs in India’s public works and infrastructure contracts.

Posting on Facebook, he asked, “Last year, out of Rs 16,500 crore worth of public works contracts, how many contracts were awarded to Dalit, Adivasi, and backward class businesses? Their response was deeply worrying—the government does not maintain any data on this.”

The issue stems from a question Rahul Gandhi raised in the Lok Sabha (Unstarred Question No. 6264), seeking details about the total number and value of public works and infrastructure contracts awarded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs over the past five years, as well as the number and value of contracts allotted to SC, ST, and OBC-owned enterprises.

The question also asked whether the government had met its target of 4 per cent procurement from SC/ST-owned businesses and whether any plans existed to introduce similar targets for OBC-owned enterprises.