Demand for 'empowering' NCBC

Tiruchirapalli, Nov 5 (UNI) The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has approached the Centre to 'empower' the Commission as in the case of National Commission for Scheduled Castes to redress their grievances and monitor reservation rules.

Addressing a press conference here today, NCBC member Suba Somu said the Centre had referred the matter to the Union Cabinet Committee. The Committee had accepted the proposal, in principle, and sought for certain clarifications from the Commission.

He said the Commission did not have powers to summon any officer in the government departments or in the public sector undertakings to seek explanation on complaints against them.

Mr Somu said the NCBC would undertake a census on the BC population, as per a Supreme Court directive, which said a ''proper census data'' on caste wise population was lacking since 1931. The modalities of the census would be finalised in consultation with the Union Home Ministry.

Tamil Nadu had pleaded with the Centre to enlist 26 communities in the BC list. The State had 143 communities under backward class, 41 under most backward class and 68 communities under denotified class, he added.

UNI