The Hindu : International / India & World : `Quota not for creamy layer'

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Friday, Jul 23, 2004

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International - India & World

`Quota not for creamy layer'

LONDON, JULY 22. The proposed five per cent reservation in civil service jobs for Muslims will be applicable for socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged and not for the creamy layer in the community, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has said.

``We can always say that whatever reservations are there are not for the creamy layers among the minorities,'' Mr. Reddy told BBC World's Hardtalk India programme.

Asked specifically whether the upper elite of the Muslim community will be excluded from the reservations, he said: "Yes. Our intention is that — to exclude the elitist, or people whose incomes are substantial, from this reservation bill.'' The Government was still framing the rules.

Farmers' suicides

Answering a question on farmers' suicide in the State, where at least 3,000 died in the past six years, he said that it was part of a wider agricultural crisis. ``Farmers are in deep distress. The last three years of drought has really harassed all. It is really an agrarian crisis that is ruining Andhra Pradesh... Every section of Indian democracy — the legislature, judiciary, police, administration, everyone — has failed the Andhra farmer.'' The only long-term solution to the problem was to build up the rural economy. ``Agriculture has to grow, and to make agriculture vibrant we are doing everything that is possible.''``The day we came to power, we announced free supply of electricity to farmers. We have written off Rs. 1,300 crores worth of electricity dues... and we want to spend, in the next five to six years, Rs. 46,000 crores on expanding irrigation... but agriculture alone is not the answer.

PTI

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