Fate of 72 backward castes to be decided next month

Lucknow, Feb 18 (UNI) A full bench of the National Commission for Backward Classes would meet here next month to give its approval on the pending list of 72 backward castes of Uttar Pradesh to be included in the Central list.

Announcing this at a press conference here, Commission's member Abdul Ali Azizi said that the research work for the inclusion of these castes had been completed after the state's recommendation to include these castes in the backward list of the Centre.

The four-member Commission headed by Justice (retd) R Pandayan would hear the cases in the last week of March, he informed.

At least 72 cases were pending before the Commission on inclusion of the state level backward castes in the Central list, he further added.

Mr Azizi, during his visit to the state today, reviewed the schemes and programmes of the Backward Caste Welfare and expressed satisfaction over their progress.

''The disbursement of the funds to the district was satisfactory, but their utilisation has to be seen,'' he underlined.

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