Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 30: All India Federation of Backward Classes has appealed the Prime Minister to make no change in the income bar of the `creamy layer’ category of the OBCs in the country.
In a joint press statement here, senior members of the Federation FC Saitia, RK Chalotra, Madan Lal Baldotra, S K Prajapati and Om Kataria said that the recent move of Govt of India, to alter the definition/ criteria of `creamy layer’ in OBC category which was devised in 1993, was against the spirit of constitutional provisions and Federation opposes it.
They said the creamy layer of OBCs, are those people who are kept out of the purview of reservation for their better economic status. An OBC person whose income is more than Rs 8 lakhs per annum is not entitled to the benefit of reservation. But employees and traditional artisans were kept out this restriction. Salary of an employee was not taken into account for calculation of `creamy layer’ amount of Rs 8 lakhs. However, class-I & II officers were not entitled for reservation irrespective of their economic status.
They pointed out that recently, Govt of India framed a Committee under the chairmanship of BP Sharma to review this aspect, i.e if salary can also be taken into account. Sharma Committee has recommended that salary should also be taken into account while calculating the creamy layer amount of Rs 8 lakhs.
This has sent a shocking signal to OBCs throughout the country. This will disentitle children of all employees and reserved posts are liable to remain unfilled. This is something like deprivation of reservation. They said AIBCF has already written to the Prime Minister of India and all other ministries including National Commission for Backward Classes, New Delhi to stop this move.
This step shall prove counterproductive and the purpose of reservation shall be defeated. If children of employees are barred, then healthy competition within OBC shall cease to happen, they added.
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