CITU supports reservation policy for OBCs

Patna, May 30 (UNI) The Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) today supported the Centres move for extending reservation to members of the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) in higher educational institutions.

On its 36th Foundation Day, general secretary of the Bihar unit of the CITU, Arun Kumar Mishra told mediapersons that the creamy layer among them, however, should be denied the advantages of reservation.

He said the very puropse of providing reservations would be defeated if the 'better offs' among OBC were allowed to take advantage of the reservation. He, however, favoured reservation for economically weaker sections among the forward castes in government services and educational institutions.

Criticising the NDA governmet in the state for its move to privatise electricity, health, education and transport sectors, Mr Mishra said the governments proposals if implemented, would deprive common people of basic facilities.

He said the CITU would launch a state wide movement if the government did not rollback its decision immediately. He observed that rampant corruption existed in offices of the labour department which had failed to protect the interests of the labourers belonging to both unorganised and organised sectors. Welfare schemes for labourers of different sectors were not being implemented in the state, he alleged.

''We are striving hard to unite the working class to fight against the oppressive policies of the government'', he added.

Mr Mishra warned that any move to increase the prices of diesel, petrol and other petroleum products would be strongly opposed by CITU.

State president of CITU Chandi Prasad informed that a day-long all India convention of contract and allied workers of railways would be held in Patna on June 25 to discuss the issues of privatisation initiated in different sectors of railways including catering, track maintenance and cleaning. He said interests of the labourers had been severly affected and strategies would be chalked out to fight these anti labour policies in the convention.

National general secretary of CITU Chittrabatra Majumdar and President M K Pandhe are expected to attend the covention of railway workers.

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