'AIIMS to implement OBC quota from now'

New Delhi, Apr 11: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, which was the epicentre of anti-quota agitation, would implement the 27 Percent reservation for OBCs from coming academic session, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said here today.

Dr Ramadoss said ''hopefully'' AIIMS would get the quota this year itself. Regarding the increase in seats and infrastructure in the prestigious institution for implementing the Supreme Court verdict on reservation for OBCs, he said these issues would be considered. Expressing dissatisfaction with the exclusion of creamy layer from the quota benefit, he said the matter would be taken up at the Cabinet and the UPA level.

He pointed out that since the Mandal Commission allowed quota in employment in 1990, only 5.3 per cent seats have been filled out of the 27 per cent and the same would happen to this quota also if the creamy layer is kept out.

On the issue of graduates not availing the quota benefits if they have already done so once, the Health Minister said they would decide on the issue after going through the details of the order.

However, he said the issue of the exclusion of the creamy layer and children of MPs and MLAs would be taken up at both the Cabinet and the UPA level. There are so many ex-MPs who have fallen on hard times and some MLAs do not even take home their salaries. To keep their children out of the reservation ambit would be unfair he said and added that these issues need to be kept in mind while dealing with the matter.

UNI