MBC quota panel fails to give report

LUCKNOW: Members of most backward castes eyeing social-economic uplift through exclusive quota would have to wait further as the Backward Class Social Justice Committee constituted for the purpose has been unable to submit its report in the given time and has sought extension.
Since only select backward castes are said to be hogging quota benefits, CM Yogi Adityanath had announced a social justice committee in May and passed order on June 5 for its constitution.
As per estimates, powerful backward castes like Yadavs, Kurmis and Lodhs have appropriated more than 90% of reservation benefits in government jobs and educational institutions.
The committee had to submit its report in three months. The stipulated time lapsed on September 5 but it failed to submit its report even as government was planning to woo 75 MBCs by granting them exclusive reservation within the ambit of OBC quota.
The committee has sought three more months for completing the report but its prayer for seeking extension is pending in the corridors of power.
The demand for quota within quota for MBCs has been growing. UP cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar has warned that he would resign and launch agitation against BJP for betraying its promise if MBCs were not given separate reservation.
During a series of conferences of other backward castes in Lucknow, CM Yogi and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya also received similar demands from leaders.
Questions are being raised as to why the committee failed to failed to submit its report even though when a similar panel appointed by Rajnath Singh government in 2001 had given its report in two months. The committee headed by then minister Hukum Singh had to study the socio-economic status of OBCs as well as SCs and it still completed its task in the stipulated period.
When contacted by TOI, the committee’s chairman justice (retired) Raghvendra Kumar said that the chief task of collecting data from more than 75 departments was still under way. So far, nearly 20 departments have given details while data from remaining is still awaited, the chairman said.