Panel To Monitor Job Quota For Backward Classes

Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda yesterday announced that a cabinet sub-committee would be constituted for periodical monitoring of the implementation of the 27 per cent job reservation for backward classes in the Central government services.

Inaugurating the foundation conference of the All-India Federation of Backward Classes Employees' Welfare Associations here, he said that the committee would sit at least once in three months and review the progress made in the recruitment of backward classes in the government services.

He said that all government departments would be instructed to submit the schemes implemented by them for recruitment of the backward classes to the committee.

Gowda ruled out possibilities of amending the Constitution for protection of the existing reservation systems in the state till the Supreme Court gave its final verdict on the Mandal commission case.

The interim order of the court had restricted the reservation to 50 per cent and the case was before the full bench of the apex court. Only after the court's verdict the question of amending the Constitution or adopting the verdict would be considered, he said, adding that I do not interfere in the court's proceedings.

Gowda said that there had been a number of requests from more communities for inclusion in the list of backward classes. The Supreme Court had instructed that such requests should be considered by the Backward Classes Commissions, headed by judges, appointed by all the state governments and at the Centre.

The Union welfare ministry was scrutinising the demands from several communities, he said.

The Union Budget, to be presented in Parliament soon, would have many concessions for backward classes and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes so that injustices committed against them could be rectified, at least to a certain extent, he said.

Nothing much had changed in the conditions of SCs and STs since independence, he said, adding that during his recent visit to Madhya Pradesh, he was pained to know that the literacy rate among the tribals was just two per cent.

Who has to be blamed for these things, he asked, adding that he would be taking certain decisions, which would go a

long way in bringing about changes in the conditions of the neglected sections of society soon.

Gowda said that former Prime Minister V P Singh and former welfare minister Sitaram Kesari had promised 10 per cent of the reservation for the economically weaker sections. Steps had to be taken for fulfilling these assurances, he said.

Job reservation alone would not strengthen the economic position of the backward classes.

On the federation's demands for appointing liaison officers in every department for redressal of grievances of the backward classes employees, he said that the Centre would consider the demand and take appropriate steps. His government would not tolerate any atrocities committed on the staff selected under the Mandal Commission quota by higher officials, he said. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, addressing the conference, in his short speech, demanded that the reservation for government services should be extended to educational institutions also.

The Prime Minister also hinted at a fresh initiative by India to address the entire gamut of issues relating to the Sri Lankan Tamils on the return and advice of external affairs minister I K Gujral, who reached Colombo on a four-day visit yesterday.

Speaking to newsmen at the airport before his departure for

Bangalore at the end of a seven-hour visit to the city, the Prime Minister said that further action would be based on the advice and the outcome of the discussions in Colombo.

Gowda was seen off at the airport, among others, by Governor Krishan Kant and the Chief Minister.