The Hindu : New Delhi News : Raise income limit for creamy layer: BC commissions

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Friday, Jun 13, 2008
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New Delhi

Raise income limit for creamy layer: BC commissions

Aarti Dhar

“Existing criterion excludes a large number from reservation”
3 States could not attend meeting, to send opinions in writing

NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Backward Classes will submit its recommendations to the Centre by June 30 on raising the annual income limit for identification of the creamy layer among the BCs.

It took the decision after a daylong meeting here with the chairpersons and heads of the State commissions for BCs, where a vociferous demand was made for doubling the ceiling to at least Rs. 5 lakh.

This assumes importance in the context of the Supreme Court decision on the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006 — which seeks to reserve 27 per cent seats for Other Backward Classes in higher education institutions — that the creamy layer be excluded from the purview of quota.

According to Justice (retired) S.R. Pandian, Chairman of the National Commission for the Backward Classes, there was a general demand for raising the income limit to Rs.4 lakh-6 lakh a year. After the court order, there was a demand from the OBCs and political parties for raising the income limit to bring more people under the reservation regime. They believed that the existing criterion excluded a large number of people from the reservation purview.

Maharashtra, Gujarat, Assam and Rajasthan, which could not attend the meeting, have been asked to send their opinions in writing to enable the Commission to finalise its recommendations.

While the Uttar Pradesh panel chief was of the opinion that there should be no income criterion for reservation, Madhya Pradesh said the limit should be raised to Rs. 10 lakh.

Delhi’s Backward Commission panel chief Chhattar Singh said the State had already recommended that the limit be raised to Rs. 5 lakh.

Last year, Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Meira Kumar wrote to the National Commission, asking it to review the income limit criterion and submit its report at the earliest.

A review is also being conducted on the eligibility of the castes to be included in the BC list. The income limit was raised from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 2.5 lakh on March 9, 2004 through an office memorandum.

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