'Unprecedented number of committees set up by UPA in past two years'

New Delhi, May 18 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party today took exception to the UPA Government way of setting up a number of Groups of Ministers and committees to resolve all contentious issues instead of letting the respective ministries tackle them.

Referring to the setting up of another high-powered Group of Ministers to look into the Reservation issue in professional institutions and medical colleges, the party said it would be the 40th such GoM constituted by the Government where various ministries differed on the matter.

Talking to newspersons, BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said the coalition Government at the Centre had constituted as many as 200 committees, including GoMs, in the past two years.

Observing that the number of committees was unprecedented, Mr Malhotra said perhaps the Government had found a 'new way' of governance. It could be understandable if one or two committees were constituted to deal with contentious issues. '' But in no way it can be justified to constitute so many committees. What ministries are doing?'' he asked.

Besides at the top of it there was another body, National Advisory Council, constituted by this government, to advise on contentious and sensitive matters, he said.

While regretting that neither Prime Minister Manmohan Singh nor Congress president Sonia Gandhi had so far talked to the agitating students on the reservation issue, Mr Malhotra said the present situation was the result of the ''ambitions of individual ministers''.

Finding a way out by constituting GoMs or committees would not only ''put a question mark'' on the governance but also erode the credibility of the office of Prime Minister, he added.

The Prime Minister should hold talks with political parties to resolve the reservation issue, Mr Malhotra asserted.

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