Kolkata: With an apparent eye on
elections, the West Bengal government today said about 1.60
crore backward Muslims in the state will get OBC certificates
under a reservation policy for poor people of the community.
"Final decision in this regard will be taken in the
state cabinet meeting on September 22. After that the
economically backward Muslims will start getting
certificates", Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said
here while inaugurating the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Bhavan
here.
This will be in keeping with his promise in February
that the step will be taken before year-end, he said. The
state government had announced 10 per cent quota in employment
for the community under the OBC category.
He also announced that the state government would take
up development programmes in 12 districts in the state which
have a large Muslim population.
"In 12 districts, including Murshidabad and Malda,
which have large number of Muslim population, the state
government will take up multi-sectoral development programme
which include development of insfrastructure, schools,
colleges etc," he said.
He said that efforts were being made to bring the
Muslims who constituted over 27 per cent of the state's
population on a level-playing field.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, September 16, 2010, 21:32