West Bengal to accord job quotas for poor Muslims

Kolkata, (IANS)West Bengal's Left Front government Monday said it ould reserve 10 percent of government jobs to economically, socially and ducationally backward Muslims by including them in the OBC (Other Backward lass) category.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said his government had decided to dopt the Ranganath Mishra Commission's recommendations for the betterment f the underprivileged Muslims in the state.

"We have decided to adopt the recommendations and will implement (them). We on't know when the union government will implement the report, but we are oing it in our state," Bhattacharjee told reporters.

"Presently there is only seven percent reservation for the OBCs in our state ut with the inclusion of backward minority Muslims this figure will go up o 17 percent.

"The creamy layer, those who have an annual income of Rs.450,000, will not e included in the category," he said.

Bhattacharjee said the state government would form a committee involving the ackward Class Welfare department, Backward Class Welfare Commission, inority Development Department and Minority Development Commission.

"We will identify the Muslims as early as possible and work out all ecessary modalities to implement the committee's suggestions in detail," he said.