Naxalism: Govt mulls OBC expansion
In a bid to instil a sense of belonging among people living in the Naxal-affected states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, the government is considering the inclusion of 185 castes in the Central list of OBCs, which will entitle them to a slew of benefits.
Sources in the government said, “A proposal to this effect from the ministry of social justice is high on the agenda of the Union Cabinet, which will meet on Thursday.”
The Cabinet meeting, to be chaired by PM Manmohan Singh, will, though, consider proposals relating to inclusion and modification of various castes in the Central list of OBCs from more than seven states and UTs, the bulk of these being from Jharkhand and Chhatt-isgarh, the sources said, adding that 121 castes are listed for inclusion from Jharkhand and 64 from Chhattisgarh. The others which have sent proposals include Daman and Diu (24) and Bihar (one). There are also proposals for modifications in the Central OBC list from Karnataka (13), Haryana (seven) and Himachal Pradesh (two).
The new entrants would benefit from reservation in direct recruitment in Central services and be entitled to financial assistance from the National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corp. for skill development. “Recog-nising that alienation among the poor is the main reason for the menace breeding, the government has now decided to first address those issues,” the sources said.
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