PMK founder S. Ramadoss on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister urging him to constitute the ninth National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) at the earliest.
In the letter, a copy of which was circulated to the media, he sought conferment of the rank of Union Minister to the Chairman of the NCBC and called for filling 60% of vacant posts in the Commission. Besides, he sought establishment of regional offices of the NCBC in Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kolkata for facilitating easier access to people.
Tracing the history of the NCBC, he said the Supreme Court in the Indra Sawhney case had ruled that a Commission be constituted to safeguard the welfare of the Backward Classes. It also ruled that the Chairman and Members had to be appointed every three years. Consequently, the National Commission for Backward Classes Act was enacted in 1993 and till September 2016 seven such Commissions were constituted as “legal entities” with no constitutional approval.
The PMK leader pointed out the tenures of the NCBC Chairman Bhagwan Lal Sahni and three Members, Achari Thallojm, Sudha Yadav and Kaushalendra Singh Patel, had ended in February. Besides, the tenure of its Deputy Chairrman Lokesh Kumar Prajapati had ended in March but a new Commission was yet to be constituted.
Since the NCBC had the responsibility of protecting the interests of 70 crore OBCs, he urged the Prime Minister to constitute the Commission at the earliest.
Dr. Ramadoss also pointed out that the NCBC had to deliberate on revising the annual income limit for “creamy layer” from ₹8 lakh to ₹15 lakh.
“The final decision about internal reservation within OBCs reservation by Justice Rohini Commission can be arrived only after deliberations with the NCBC. At a time when there are a number of important matters pending before the NCBC, the undue delay in constituting the new Commission is doing harm to the interests of OBCs,” he said.
