The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) have demanded that the reservation for SCs and STs should be extended to all Government autonomous bodies and armed forces. Addressing a press conference here today, the Chairman of the NCSC Shri Suraj Bhan welcomed the SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes (Reservation in Posts and Services) Bill, 2004. He however, said that in absence of penal clause for non-implementation, the Bill has little utility. Shri Suraj Bhan suggested that non-implementation of reservation in the Government sector should be treated as an atrocity against SCs and STs and those responsible should be punished with a minimum imprisonment of six months and fine.
Referring to the reservation in private sector, the Chairman said that the beginning can be made with all those economic activities which are getting the benefit of institutional finance and/ or are being supported by the state in some other way. He said the Commission feels that a stage has reached where all corporate bodies including those established with foreign collaboration should be obliged to give representation to SC/ST members in employment. Shri Suraj Bhan said that as a result of reservation, 50 lakh people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are employed in Government sector all over the country and another 20 lakh could be employed in the private sector with the extension of reservation.
Replying to a question Shri Suraj Bhan said that the percentage of reservation should be on the basis of population. He lamented very low representation of SCs and STs at the senior levels in the Government of India saying that there was only one SC and one ST among the 70 secretaries. He said that among 100 Addl. Secretaries there is no SCs and STs and among more than 100 Joint Secretaries, only three belong to SCs and none to STs.
On the issue of atrocities against SCs and STs, the Chairman said that the Commission takes immediate action whenever it comes to know about incidents of atrocities either through newspapers or other sources. He referred to rape and murder of dalit girl in Bihar in August in this connection and said that relief was granted to her family on the intervention of the Commission.
The Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes Shri Kanwar Singh was also present during the press conference.
(Release ID :6055)