10 pc for EWS: CM agrees with Stalin on all-party meet

 DMK president MK Stalin on Tuesday demanded the state government to form policy decision on the issue of providing 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker upper caste persons.

Stalin moved a ‘Calling Attention’ motion in the Assembly on the issue of Union government’s decision to give 10 per cent reservation to EWS. In his address, Stalin said, “Central government in a hasty move has announced 10 per cent reservation based on economic criteria for upper castes against the provisions of Constitution and has offered additional 25 per cent seats for MBBS if the reservation is implemented. Centre is trying to cheat the state by making a sweet offer.”

He also said that the state already has the 69 percentage reservation policy where 31 per cent is for general category. In the category efficient people from all the upper castes fight out for the seats, but the Centre to implement their plan of introducing 10 per cent reservation is coercing the state government by giving them offers with a selfish motive, he added.

“By offering additional seats, the Centre is trying to kill the principles of reservation and social justice. Centre is feeding slow poison to the state and this is equal to calling a poisonous snake a good snake,” said Stalin.

He further said that late chief minister J Jayalalithaa is called the ‘Champion of Social Justice’ and the government which claims to be following the footsteps of her should prevent the Central government from implementing the order of 10 per cent reservation for upper castes, in the state.

Stalin also demanded the state to convene an all-party meeting on the issue and to take a policy decision, at the earliest.

Replying to Stalin, state Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar said that though the Central government has proposed it, Tamil Nadu is among the few states to have not given consent on the proposal. “The last date for accepting the proposal of the Union government was June 28, but the state did not give any consent to the Centre on the proposal. There will be no harm done to the 69 per cent reservation policy of the state and the counselling for the current academic year will not be affected,”said Vijaya Baskar.

Chief Minister Palaniswami said that the Union government had informed their decision to the state and it does not mean that the state is either supporting or opposing the proposal. For every 1,000 medical seats in the state, 586 is allotted under reservation, after the 150 seats were allotted under all India quota.

Agreeing to the demands of Stalin, Palaniswami said he is ready to convene an all-party meeting. “State government will convene all party meeting on the issue of reservation and will obtain their views before taking any decision on the issue,” said Palaniswami.