Gujarat government has failed to implement reservations: Moily

Ahmedabad, Dec 18 (UNI) Congress leader Veerappa Moily, who had chaired the Oversight Committee on reservations, today regretted that the Gujarat government was yet to take a decision on its reservation policy for self-financed colleges in the state.

''It is the duty of the Gujarat government to decide on the issue,'' he told mediapersons here.

He said the 93rd Amendment that provided for reservation for socially and educationally backward classes, was passed last year.

''The Centre cannot implement reservations on its own as education is a concurrent subject. It can only empower the states and the requisite laws have to be made by the state governments,'' he said.

Mr Moily, who now heads the second Adminstrative Reforms Committee, is on a visit to Gujarat to hold discussions with the Chief Minister and other officials on such issues as public order, police reforms, terrorism, ethics in governance and conflict resolution.

He would attend a two-day national-level colloquium on social capital in Anand at the IRMA from tomorrow.

Refusing to get drawn into a discussion on the police role during the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, he said he was not here to give any certificates. ''We take note of both the positive aspects and the lapses and will be compiling them in our report.'' He, however, said police reforms were the need of the hour as the criminal justice system has reached a nadir in some places. ''At many places, rule of the law has itself become a victim. Public order has failed too. What kind of Evidence Act, Police Act should be framed, how public order can be maintained will be the various issues we shall be dealing with too.'' On the creamy layer issue, he said, ''We have left it to the Government to decide. Personally, I feel the creamy layer should be implemented. It gives benefits to the voiceless. People below the creamy layer should be first given the chance and then it should be given to others among the OBCs.'' Some states like Karnataka have implemented it and other states of the South have categorised the classes, giving first benefits to the poorest of the poor, he observed.

He said the Committee will be filing reports on 13 major issues from time to time. The one on public order will be submitted by February, he said.

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