NCBC demands more teeth

New Delhi, Jun 11 (UNI) Feeling handicapped due to lack of powers, the National Commission for Backward Classes(NCBC) today demanded empowerment to redress grievances of those who approach it.

The NCBC has so far powers to deal only with the issue of inclusion of castes in the list of Backward classes or their exclusion from it.

''We will soon submit our demand to the Centre to give us more teeth,'' Secretary of the Commission Lakshmi Chand told reporters here after a meeting of the chairpersons of the state backwards classes commission.

''If a person belonging to a backward class approached the commission with a complaint being denied reservation by some organisation, we have no power to redress his/her grievances unlike the National Commission for Scheduled Castes,'' he said.

The issue of giving more powers to the NCBC and to the state commission was raised by state chairpersons at today's meeting, Mr Lakshmi Chand said.

The main purpose of conveneing the meeting was, however, to elicit their views on the revision of the income ceiling for creamy layer.

The NCBC was constituted in April 1993. About its powers, the Act says,'' The Commission shall exercise requests for inclusion of any class of citizens as a backward class in the lists and hear complaints of overinclusion or underinclusion of any backward class in such lists and tender such advice to the CentralGovernment as it deems appropriate.'' UNI NAZ SB NS1931