90 castes added to OBC list for jobs, VRS schemes for PSUs unveiled

NEW DELHI, MARCH 17: In an apparent effort to broadbase its support among the backward communities, the Vajpayee Government on Thursday ni...

NEW DELHI, MARCH 17: In an apparent effort to broadbase its support among the backward communities, the Vajpayee Government on Thursday night decided to add 90 more castes to the OBC list for job reservations. The decision was taken by the Union Cabinet at its meeting here, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan told reporters. In other decisions, the Government announced three VRS schemes for PSUs and hikes in minimum support prices of some agricultural commodities.

He said the inclusion and amendment in the central list of OBCs had been done on the basis of recommendations by the National Commission for Backward Classes covering 16 states. No caste had been deleted from the existing list, said Mahajan.

While the inclusion of 116 castes had been approved by the Cabinet in October last year, 126 castes had been added in November.

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The changes brought about on Thursday pertain to Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, Mahajan said.

In a string of other decisions, the Cabinet also approved of renaming of Ranchi airport after the legendary tribal leader and freedom fighter, Birsa Munda, and grant of relief to non-camp displaced persons in the Chumbnabat region of Jammu and Kashmir who were uprooted during the Indo-Pak war in 1971.

The Government also announced three Voluntary Retirement Schemes (VRS) as part of the measures to downsize about 240 public sector undertakings. For this, the PSUs have been categorised as financially sound enterprises, marginally profit-making or loss-making units and those which are sick and financially unviable.

The financially sound enterprises capable of meeting costs on their own are free to implement their own VRS schemes. The units declared permanently sick would adopt the VRS scheme of the department of heavy industry for a specific period stipulated for exercising the option. The marginally profit-making or loss-making units whose performances can be improved would adopt the Gujarat pattern of VRS.

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Those who have completed 10 years of service or are above 40 years of age may seek VRS. In addition to the terminal benefits, employees would be entitled to ex-gratia equivalent to 1.5 months pay plus dearness allowance for each completed year of service or monthly pay plus DA at the time of retirement multiplied by the balance of months of service left (whichever is less).

Under the Gujarat pattern, in addition to terminal benefits, employees will receive 35 days salary for each year of completed service and 25 days of salary or Rs 2,500 whichever is higher for every year of service left.

Salary includes basic pay, DA, personal pay and HRA. If the basic pay is less than Rs 350, then Rs 350 will be taken for the purpose of calculation.

The Government also announced an all-round increase in the minimum support prices of wheat, barley, gram, rapeseed/mustard and safflower seeds for the rabi season 1999-2000.

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Apart from accepting the suggestions of the Agriculture Price Commission relating to barley, gram, rapeseed/mustard and safflower, the Government has decided to increase the MSP of wheat by Rs 25 at Rs 575 per quintal though the Commission had recommended last year’s price of Rs 550, Mahajan said. Last year too, the Government had increased the price of MSP over and above the prices recommended by the Commission.

The following are the minimum support prices of all commodities (prices for the previous year are quoted in brackets: Wheat 575 (550); barley 430 (385); gram 1015 (895); rapeseed/mustardseed 1100 (1000); and safflower 1100 (990).