Panel to review reservation

By J. P. Shukla

LUCKNOW, JUNE 28. Giving a new twist to the politics of backward vote bank, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Rajnath Singh, today announced constitution of a committee to re-examine the arrangements for reservation of government jobs for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes in the State.

Talking to newspersons here, Mr. Singh said the panel - to be known as Committee for Social Justice - would have the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Hukum Singh, and Minister for Medical and Health Department, Mr. Ramapati Shastri, as its Chairman and Co-chairman respectively. Mr. J. P. Vishwakarma, an IAS officer, would function as Secretary to the Committee.

Giving reasons for the setting up of the committee, Mr. Singh said all the sections entitled for reservation had not benefited equally all these years. The Committee would look at the issue afresh and make recommendations to put the reservation policy at a more reasonable footing.

The terms of reference include examination of all arrangements and facilities in schemes formulated for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes and to recommend necessary amendments in accordance with the population of these sections following change in their number after creation of the Uttaranchal State. The Committee would also examine their position in the State Government services against reserved posts. It would submit its recommendations within two months after examining all schemes and arrangements made for these classes to enable the Government to bring the desired groups under the reservation purview.

Populationwise, the number of SCs and Backward Classes goes beyond 70 per cent while the percentage of reserved posts cannot go beyond 50 per cent, according to a Supreme Court ruling.

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