After objections from the National SC Commission and some Dalit MPs to certain provisions in the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Reservation in posts and services) Bill,the Government on Tuesday indicated its willingness to look into their apprehensions when the Bill comes up before the Lok Sabha. Close on the heels of National SC Commission chief Buta Singh expressing reservations over the Bill,which was passed by the Rajya Sabha two months ago,CPI MP D Raja took up the issue with Social Justice Minister Meira Kumar at an informal meeting called by Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal. Rajas basic objections,as that of Singhs,are that the Bill exempts 47 national institutes,including IITs and IIMs,from reservations and stipulates that there shall be no reservation to posts qualified as scientific or technical posts. Besides Kumar,Union Ministers Sushil Kumar Shinde and Ram Vilas Paswan and MPs R K Naik and Ramdas Athawale also attended the meeting. The National Common Minimum Programme of the UPA had mentioned reservation in the private sector and an intention to codify into law all reservation. And now they have taken away the existing reservation. The Bill in its present form is not acceptable, Raja told The Indian Express. Sources said the Left parties would move amendments to the Bill when it comes up before the Lok Sabha and the Government is open to considering them.
