‘Why are Bahujan entrepreneurs excluded?’ Rahul Gandhi targets Centre over contract data gap

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi has asked the Modi government why no data is maintained on the share of public works contracts worth over Rs 16,500 crore awarded to Dalit, Adivasi and OBC-owned businesses, accusing the Centre of fostering a “deliberately constructed system of exclusion” after Parliament told him that no such records exist.In an unstarred question in Lok Sabha, Gandhi sought details on public works and infrastructure contracts awarded by the central public works department (CPWD) and under the ministry of housing and urban affairs over the past five years, specifically asking how many were secured by SC, ST and OBC-owned enterprises.

Government’s response

In a written reply, minister of state for housing and urban affairs Tokhan Sahu stated that while the government could provide the total number and value of contracts awarded year-wise, “there is no existing mechanism to track contracts awarded to enterprises owned by persons belonging to scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST) and other backward classes (OBC).”The government also clarified that all such contracts fall under construction contracts, and maintaining caste-based data is “not mandatory” for them. On the question of increasing procurement mandates for SC/ST-owned enterprises, the minister replied: “In view of the above, the question does not arise.”

‘Deliberate exclusion’: Rahul Gandhi

Responding to the government’s reply on social media, the leader of the opposition said the response was “deeply concerning.”“The government does not maintain any data in this regard,” Gandhi said. “The policy mandates that 25% of public procurement must be sourced from MSMEs, of which 4% is earmarked for dalit and adivasi entrepreneurs. However, when it comes to the largest and most lucrative contracts, public works, the government asserts that this requirement is not ‘mandatory.'”He argued that this is “not merely an administrative lapse; it is a deliberately constructed system of exclusion, fostered through the policies of the Modi government, that undermines social and economic justice.”“The question is straightforward: Why are Bahujan entrepreneurs being excluded from the country’s largest public contracts?” he added.Rahul Gandhi further points in his post that the government’s Public Procurement Policy for MSMEs mandates that 25 per cent of purchases by central ministries and public sector undertakings be sourced from micro, small and medium enterprises, with four per cent specifically earmarked for SC/ST-owned enterprises.However, the government has now clarified in Parliament that this provision is not mandatory for public works contracts, which are typically among the largest and most profitable government tenders. These contracts are awarded through open tendering processes, and no centralised database is maintained on the social category of contractors.The exchange comes ahead of assembly elections in several states. Gandhi’s office said the absence of such data raises broader concerns about equitable access and transparency in government spending.“The Modi government will have to answer for this,” Gandhi said.