Lucknow: Government is considering
allocation of quota to minorities within the existing 27 per
cent reservation for OBCs in central services, Minority
Affairs minister Salman Khurshid said on Thursday.
Granting separate quota to the minorities within the 27
per cent being given to OBCs is under serious consideration of
the Union government on the lines of a number of states,
Khurshid told reporters here.
States like Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and
West Bengal already have such provision.
Khurshid said both the Ministries for minority welfare
and social justice were working together in this direction and
the provisions made in these states besides various rulings of
the Supreme Court and the Karnataka High Court were being
studied.
The minister said his department was committed to
maintaining the minority status to Jamia Millia Islamia and
Aligarh Muslim University.
He said that Rs 2,500 crore had been provided for the
development of Muslim-dominated districts, including those in
Uttar Pradesh, and another Rs 1,000 crore would be provided
soon.
To a question on rising prices, the Congress leader said
the central government was making serious efforts to control
it and the issue was also discussed in the party`s plenary
session recently.
Although it is an international phenomenon, efforts are
on to keep it under check, he said.
On corruption, Khurshid said the government was serious
about the issue, and action would be taken against all those
found involved in it.
Asked about the 2G spectrum scam, the minister said BJP
should have welcomed the Prime Minister`s offer to appear
before the PAC rather than continuing with the stalemate.
Khurshid, also Corporate Affairs minister, said that the
proposal for a new company bill was under the consideration of
the Law ministry and would be presented in the next session of
Parliament.
Besides there is also a move to bring companies under
the International Finance Reporting System in a phased manner,
he said.
PTI
