Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Dharam Singh seeks Article 371 amendment

Special Correspondent

Says it will correct regional imbalances in education and employment

REACHING OUT TO TEACHERS: The former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly N. Dharam Singh inaugurating the State-level seminar to discuss problems and challenges faced by B.Ed. and B.P. Ed. graduates, in Gulbarga o n Tuesday.

GULBARGA: The former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, N. Dharam Singh, on Tuesday reiterated the demand for amending Article 371 of the Constitution to extend the special reservation in employment and educational opportunities to the people in the backward regions in the State.

Mr. Dharam Singh was inaugurating the seminar on "Problems and challenges faced by B. Ed and B.P. Ed graduates" organised by the Karnataka State B.Ed, B.P. Ed Graduates Horata Samiti at the Mahatma Gandhi Hall of Gulbarga University here.

Efforts in vain

Mr. Singh recalled the efforts made to persuade the Centre to concede one of the long-pending demands of the people of Hyderabad-Karnataka region when he was the Chief Minister.

He said he led an all-party delegation to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and made a forceful plea to amend Article 371 of the Constitution. Mr Singh said when the Centre made a suggestion that it was ready to extend the statutory status to the development board in the backward region on the lines of the Vidharbha Development Board, the Government, headed by him, rejected the proposal and reiterated the demand to amend Article 371 to provide reservation in jobs and education.

Mr. Singh said the amendment of the Article 371 would help in reducing the regional imbalances at least in the field of employment and education.

A strong plea was made to the Prime Minister to share the burden of expenditure of Rs. 9,600 crore for removing regional imbalances as recommended by the High Power Committee on Redressal of Regional Imbalances headed by the late Dr. D.M.Nanjundappa.

He said Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy should carry forward the commitment of the previous Government for the removal of the regional imbalances in the development in backward regions.

`Commitment lacking'

He said the action of the present Government so far only revealed that they lacked the commitment to develop the backward regions.

Gulbarga University Vice-Chancellor Pratap Singh Tiwari presided over the programme.

Rabiya Khanum, Principal of Hamida Pyar Education College, released the booklet brought out by G.C. Ninganna on the recruitment policies in Andhra Pradesh and the recommendations for changes in the recruitment policies in the State.

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