By IANS
New Delhi : The Other Backward Class (OBC) MPs have sought formation of a parliamentary committee, on the lines of one for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, to look into the grievances and problems of the OBCs.
The OBC MPs’ forum met here Wednesday to articulate their concerns and demands, said Forum convenor V. Hanumantha Rao, a Rajya Sabha member of the Congress from Andhra Pradesh.
Members cutting across the party lines, including Janata Dal-United (JD-U) president Sharad Yadav, Samajwadi Party parliamentary party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) parliamentary party deputy leader Devendra Prasad Yadav and its chief whip in the Rajya Sabha Ramdeo Bhandari represented their respective parties.
Union ministers of state R. Velu and Subhalakshmi Jagadeesan, former union minister R. Thangkabalu, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary V. Narayan Swamy and former Andhra Pradesh Congress president Kesava Rao also turned up for this meeting attended by 32 MPs.
“The turnout of the MPs today was not too impressive,” conceded Rao. “With Holi approaching, most of them lave left for home. So we have decided to meet again on April 22,” said the Forum convenor.
“But before that, we will meet the speaker with our demands in the inter-session recess,” he said.
The members of the forum had met March 13 and sought implementation of the recommendations of the standing committee on Law and judiciary chaired by one of their forum members, Sudarshan Natchiappan of the Congress.
“This committee had recommended proper accountability of the judiciary as well as reservation for OBCs and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the judiciary,” Rao said.
“We have also demanded filling up the backlog of the OBC quota in the central services. The record in this regard was very poor till this government came to power but even now only 15 percent vacancies have been filled up against a quota of 27 percent,” he added.
The forum has also sought nodal liaisons officers in every department and ministry to overlook the welfare of the OBC employees.
As Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee is unwell and hospitalised, “we could not meet him with our charter of demands. But as soon as he recovers, we will give our representation to him and then on April 22 we will further discuss the outcome of our efforts,” said the Forum convenor.