Bring internal reservation to help deprived: Gowda

Bangalore, May 20 (UNI) Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda today said only a section of people had cornered all benefits of the reservation policy and internal reservation among Backward Classes (BC) was the best option to ensure uniform benefits.

Speaking at a seminar on 'Problems faced by BCs', organised by the Karnataka Joint Action Committee of Backward Castes, Dalits and Minorities here, he said reservation policy should keep changing according to the prevailing social, financial, academic and cultural situations.

''The strong among the BCs have cornered all the benefits and people belonging to deprived class and minorities continue to be deprived,'' he said.

Referring to a decision taken by him as Chief Minister of Karnataka during 1994, Mr Gowda said his Government's intention was to identify the creamy layer among the BCs to provide better chances to those classes of people who remained poor and ignored. ''How can two or three sects get all the benefits and the remaining be deprived in Karnataka. We have to rescue the deprived. We need to change the statute and leave out the forward among the BCs,'' he said.

Internal reservation, of which Mr Gowda had been a strong proponent, had faced opposition within the legislature and outside by major groups and the Janata Dal (S) President had been criticised for his stand.

The leaders of the ruling JD(S) and the BJP said they were not opposed to bringing in internal reservation in the State.

UNI