Sharad Pawar seeks 50% quota to BCs

Musheerabad: NCP national president Sharad Pawar promised to BC leaders that he would strive to include promise of 50 per cent reservations to BCs in the UPA manifesto for the forthcoming Parliament elections. He was speaking to BC leaders from Maharashtra and Telangana who were invited by him to his residence at Janpath, New Delhi on Friday. Sharad Pawar held discussions with BC leaders for 30 minutes on various BC issues. R Krishnaiah, Gujja Krishna, Neela Venkatesh, Bhoopesh Sagar, Tandur Gopinath and other BC leaders from Telangana participated in the discussions.

Krishnaiah said that while 10 per cent reservations were given to forward castes, injustice is being done to BCs who were ignored historically. He questioned the basis for the recently passed EBC reservation bill. Expressing his anguish at lack of representation of BCs in private, administrative and business sectors, he questioned why BCs who constitute 56 per cent of the total population are being ignored. He lamented that BC students have not been given scholarships and fee reimbursements. Only nominal stipends are given to BC Phd scholars, he said.

On this occasion, BC leaders submitted a memorandum listing their demands. The demands include promotions for BCs, removal of creamy layer in education and employment reservations, 50 per cent reservations, reservation of 100 seats for those BC castes which were not represented in assemblies and parliament as nominated members, a special ministry for BCs, BC act to protect BCs in the lines of SC/ST act, raise in reservations in employment from the existing 27 per cent to 56 per cent, reservations in private sector, BC reservation in appointment of High Court and Supreme Court judges, formation of BC sub-committee with Rs 1 lakh crore budget, post metric scholarships and reimbursement of fees giving 80 per cent matching grant to states for its implementation.