The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Remain firm on creamy layer, Ramadoss urges Karunanidhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Remain firm on creamy layer, Ramadoss urges Karunanidhi

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S. Ramadoss on Monday urged Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to remain firm on the creamy layer issue.

Dr. Ramadoss told reporters that Mr. Karunanidhi had talked of opposing the exclusion of the creamy layer while participating in the debate in the Assembly last Friday on the resolution adopted on the Supreme Court’s order on the 27 per cent quota in Central institutions of higher learning.

When Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T.R. Baalu called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the next day, he had given him a letter, seeking a review of various parameters, including the income limit, for defining Other Backward Classes.

Expressing surprise over Mr. Baalu’s suggestion, Dr. Ramadoss said no income limit should be prescribed for availing the benefits of the reservation scheme. None of the leaders who had been advocating the cause of reservation had accepted the concept of creamy layer.

Earlier, releasing a document on the alternative transport system for the Chennai metropolitan city, the PMK leader wanted the government to prefer the bus rapid transit system (BRTS) to metro rail as it would be cheaper. The integration of the existing suburban railway system and the Mass Rapid Transit System (covering Koyambedu and Manali as originally envisaged) coupled with the BRTS would be people friendly and economically sustainable. A unified ticketing system should be implemented.

When reminded that he had campaigned for the metro rail system when the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime proposed mono rail, Dr. Ramadoss replied that he was not against metro rail per se. But, it included underground, surface-level and elevated rail systems, and the capital cost would be high. There should be a detailed debate on the desirability of the metro rail system. Calling for improvement of the public transport system, Dr. Ramadoss said the fleet strength of buses in the city should be 6,000. As done in Singapore, a congestion tax should be levied on users of two wheelers and cars on their trips to the city’s central business district during peak hours. Areas such as South Usman Road and Pondy Bazaar should be declared malls. Footpaths should be revived and they should be 1.5-metre wide, he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu