Cabinet to take up GoM quota report after assembly elections

New Delhi, Apr 21 (UNI) The Cabinet will consider the report of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on the job quota in the private sector after the assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory.

The report has made it clear that the law providing for reservation in the private sector will have to be put in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution to avoid being challenged.

The issue has got fresh fillip by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's exhortion to the industry this week for broadbasing its employee profile and taking affirmative action for enabling greater number of people from weaker sections to get jobs in the private sector.

The report, which incorporates the opinion of three legal experts -Fali S Nariman, retired Supreme Court judge K Ramaswamy and Attorney General Milon Bannerjee, was submitted to the Government over two months ago.

The experts had common opinion on the point that the law providing for quota for the weaker section will have to be put in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution to avoid being challenged. And for that two amendments will have to be made in the Constitution.

In view of the model code of conduct being in force due to the ongoing Assembly elections, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Meira Kumar has refused to make any comment on the issue except that the Cabinet will take up the report after the Assembly elections were over.

Last year, Ms Kumar had written to more than 200 corporate heads on the issue. In a letter, written by Mr Ratan Tata and signed by the big names in the coprorate world, the industry leaders had said they were very much in favour of affirmative action but expressed the hope that the government will not resort to any legal action.

The industry has again rejected the quota proposal. Reacting to the Prime Minister's remarks made at the annual CII conference, newly elected President of the Confederation R Seshasayee asserted reservation in any form was not acceptable to the Indian industry, saying it was not conducive to today's competitive business environment.

However, he agreed that the ''Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes should be able to compete for available jobs, and work their way up, for which the industry was ready to chalk out new plans.

UNI NAZ LS BST1530