BJP chief Amit Shah on Wednesday cited the Modi government's announcements on benefits for backward classes as evidence of his party's commitment to the holistic development of marginalised sections. The government's move to have sub-categories within Other Backward Classes (OBC) will give "priority" to the extremely backward groups among the OBCs in reservation and other government schemes, he said in a statement. The rise in the creamy layer annual income ceiling -from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh - will provide reservation and other benefits to a large section of society, he said, terming it a "positive" move towards making these measures "just". Shah said a number of BJP governments in different states had made provision for sub-categorisation and their results had been "very beneficial". As many as 11 states had implemented it, he added. "The provision of sub-categories will give priority to those castes among backward castes that need reservation and other benefits more due to their economic backwardness," he said. The committee, which was formed by the government today to examine the possibility of a sub-quota for the most marginalised communities within the OBCs, will give in 12 weeks its recommendations based on which sub-categories will be created, he said. "The decision of the Modi government shows the BJP's and its government's sensitivity and commitment to the holistic development of backwards and different social classes," he said. In the statement, the BJP president also referred to a government bill, which seeks to accord constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes and which was stalled by the Congress in the Rajya Sabha. It was a historic step, he said, expressing confidence that the government would get it passed in Parliament soon.
