New Delhi: A group of three senior Cabinet Ministers has been constituted to work out a compromise formula taking into account the interests of all sections.
The group comprises Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, HRD Minister Arjun Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram, sources said.
"It is neither a committee nor a panel. Three ministers will be meeting in order to work out a mechanism, a formula" to resolve the issue, the sources said, adding that so far no time-frame has been fixed for finalising the formula.
Seeking to assuage agitating medicos, Arjun Singh on Wednesday said in Lok Sabha that the Government will take "everyone along" and "protect" their interests.
However, he ruled out any dilution of its commitment on OBC quota in higher educational institutions.
"Government will have a collective view taking into consideration all aspects. No one will have any objection, if efforts are made to address the causes of tension. That alone will be the wise thing," Arjun Singh said replying to a calling attention motion on the issue.
He brushed aside reports that Government was speaking in different voices on reservation to OBCs in IIMs, IITs and other educational institutions. "This is false," he said.
The Minister said the main reason for the "delay" in implementing the Constitutional Amendment providing OBC quota was due to assembly elections in five states that had brought the model code of conduct into force.
Singh said there have been suggestions for increasing the number of seats in the general category as also establishing more such institutions but he could not take a decision within 24 hours.
In a statement, he said, "the Central Government is aware of all views expressed in this regard and shall take an appropriate decision on this issue without in anyway diluting the commitment arising out of the Constitutional Amendment in Article 15 (5)."
Comments
0 comment