UP reservation in educational institutions aimed at polls: Cong

Lucknow, July 11 (UNI) The Congress today termed the decision of the Uttar Pradesh government to introduce reservation in technical educational institutions as "hasty." UP Congress president Salman Khurshid said here the ordinance -- cleared by the governor yesterday -- regarding reservation in technical institutions was aimed at gaining political mileage ahead of next year's assembly elections.

''We do not oppose reservation. But, the state government move is hasty and only aimed at extracting benefits before the assembly elections,'' he added.

He claimed had the state government been serious on the issue, it could have announced its intention during the budget session. ''The opinion of teachers and educationists should have been taken before announcing the decision, when the admision process is mid-way.'' He maintained the new system would practically come into effect from the next academic session ''...and by then the Mulayam Singh Yadav government would be out of power,'' he quipped.

The former union minister wondered how the state government would manage funds for the various allowances it had announced for the unemployed and girl students even as the state had a debt burden of Rs 1.30 lakh crore.

''The state government had assured the Planning Commission it would gather sufficient funds to clear the debt. But, it has so far not explained as to how it would manage the funds,'' he said.

Sources in UP government, however, clarified the ordinance was necessitated after the Supreme Court ruling in the Inamdar Vs the state government case.

After the passage of the 93rd Amendment of the Constitution, the state governments were allowed to restore the quota system. ''The ordinance only says the quota system would continue. There is no mention of introducing fresh quota,'' the sources clarified.

While Backward Classes would get 27 per cent reservation, the SCs would get 21 per cent quota. The STs have been provided with two per cent quota.

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